ACLU Takes RLUIPA Case in Pennsylvania

Posted by: Tim Halbur

30 November 2008 - 5:00am

Evangelical pastor Rev. Jack L. Wisor was giving shelter to four homeless people in his church in downtown Brookville, PA. When he was ordered to move them on a zoning violation, Wisor - and the ACLU - sued the city.

"The suit claims violation of the First Amendment, as well as the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which largely prohibits local governments from preventing religious organizations from carrying out their missions.

'At the core of this is that it’s difficult for the borough officials to wrap their mind around the concept that church use is more than a Sunday service,' said Witold J. Walczak, the organization’s legal director. 'This entire church is set up to help the least fortunate.'

On Tuesday, a day after the lawsuit was filed, a federal judge granted a 60-day consent order that would allow Mr. Wisor to continue to use the site as a shelter while the two sides try to negotiate a permanent settlement."

Full Story: Shelter Is Forced Out, and a Suit Follows

Source: The New York Times, November 22, 2008