|
Listen to article
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
TOLEDO – A coalition of religious schools is saying a health department has gone too far and is overlooking the First Amendment. The group says the Constitution should not be suspended during a pandemic; it looks like now they will have their day in court.
The Ohio Christian Education Network (OCEN) and three Christian Schools have filed a lawsuit in Federal Court against the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department (TLCHD) for violating Christian schools’ First Amendment religious freedoms. TLCHD ordered all schools, grades 7-12, to cease in-person instruction for six weeks.
(Photo courtesy of Facebook/Toledo-Lucas County Health Dept.)
The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of Ohio, asks the court for a Temporary Restraining Order to stop Lucas County from closing schools to allow the Evangelical and Catholic schools to safely resume providing in-person education to their students.
“First Amendment freedoms does not go on a holiday break,” says Aaron Baer, President of Citizens for Community Values, which operates the Ohio Christian Education Network. “The Lucas County Health Department has not only violated the religious liberty rights of Christian schools and students by denying them the right to provide religious instruction, but they’ve threatened the futures and mental health of Lucas County students.”
“Despite all the medical evidence and experts that continue to say one of the safest places for children to be is in school, Lucas County has taken aggressive action to deny children the right to in-person education. Meanwhile, they’ve let casinos, strip clubs, liquor stores, and concerts continue. We cannot sit idly by while children and freedoms are being harmed.”
“Regardless of how well-intentioned TLCHD may be, the Resolution is misguided and violates the federal constitution by burdening religious institutions yet failing to prohibit other gatherings that pose more sinister health risks to community spread.”
statement from Lawsuit by OCEN and religious schools
OCEN and the Christian schools retained Brian Fox, Corporate Counsel at Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP to file the complaint.
“Regardless of how well-intentioned TLCHD may be, the Resolution is misguided and violates the federal constitution by burdening religious institutions yet failing to prohibit other gatherings that pose more sinister health risks to community spread,” the complaint says.
This lawsuit follows a letter sent by OCEN, before the order went into effect, to discuss Christian schools’ concerns with the order. Despite multiple attempts by OCEN to have a conversation with the Health Board on how best to serve students – both medically and academically – the Health Board ignored OCEN’s outreach efforts.
View the CCV video below with President Aaron Baer explaining why his coalition had no choice but to file a lawsuit against TLCHD.
Article updated December 8, 2020.
