Ethics

Freethinkers File Holiday Display Suit in Arkansas

By Ed Brayton

The Arkansas Society of Freethinkers have filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Arkansas after their request to put up a temporary winter solstice display on the grounds of the state capitol was denied. You can read the full complaint here (PDF). If the allegations in the complaint are true, this is pretty much an open and shut case that should be decided on summary judgment by the district court.

The state of Arkansas has an official policy on temporary displays on the capitol grounds, which requires one to apply for a permit but does not provide any guidelines for which displays will be allowed and which will not (other than a rule that a display cannot impede pedestrian or vehicle traffic). That alone is going to be a real problem in court.

Full post as published by Dispatches from the Culture Wars on December 14, 2009 (boomark / email).