Federal judge rules public charter school violated church's First Amendment rights

A federal judge in Idaho ruled that a public charter school violated a church’s First Amendment rights when it canceled a lease that allowed the church to hold Sunday services inside its gymnasium. 

The decision from Chief U.S. District Court Judge David Nye came in response to a lawsuit centering on a lease agreement between Truth Family Bible Church and Sage International, a charter school with a campus in Middleton, according to Idaho Education News. 

The website reported that when the lease was canceled last year, Sage International was applying for around $15 million in bonds to finance building upgrades through the Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA). Attorneys for the state’s bonding authority then flagged the church’s lease as a potential breach of Idaho’s Blaine Amendment, which blocks religious organizations from receiving taxpayer money, it added. 

Nye reportedly wrote in his ruling that the concern was a "lapse in judgment," as Truth Family Bible Church would have "only incidentally benefited from the bond-improved facilities," with no funds being given directly to them. 

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"IHFA and Sage’s motivations for terminating Truth Family’s lease, whether reasonable or not, were still a violation of Truth Family’s constitutional rights," Nye also said, according to Idaho Education News. 

The website said an attorney representing the church argued that using the Blaine Amendment to terminate the lease ran afoul of the First Amendment’s Free Exercise, Establishment and Free Speech clauses.  

Nye agreed with each of the First Amendment claims, writing in his ruling that the move to cancel the church’s lease "effectively stifled" its religious speech, Idaho Education News reported. 

"We’re pleased with this outcome," Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, whose office intervened in the case, told Idaho Education News through a spokesperson. "Government agencies cannot discriminate against religious organizations simply because they’re religious. Truth Family Bible Church deserved the same treatment as any secular group, and we’re glad the court recognized this." 

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A spokesperson for IHFA told Idaho Education News that, "We welcome the legal clarity the court’s ruling provides, helping to ensure that this type of issue doesn’t arise in the future." 

On its website, Truth Family Bible Church describes itself as a "new church plant in Middleton, Idaho." 

"It began as a home Bible Study that met for several years. As we began to grow, the Lord led us to begin talking about planting a new church since most of those in attendance were parts of various churches in Ada County," the church said. "Our goal is to faithfully minister the Word of God as a light to our community and the world, declaring that Christ is Lord of all." 

At the moment, the church is holding its Sunday services at another school’s gym.