Church Litigation News 03/31/2023
Apr 01, 2023(March 30) This Black Church Is Demanding $22 Million From the Proud Boys | Washington, DC
A historically Black church is seeking a massive $22 million punitive judgment against the far-right, street-brawling Proud Boys for destroying the church’s Black Lives Matter sign in 2020.
Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan AME church argues the multi-million-dollar figure, unveiled Wednesday as part of a long-running civil lawsuit, is justified as punishment for what the church’s legal team called a flagrant act of racially-charged intimidation, and to deter the Proud Boys from similar actions in the future.
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(March 29) Celebrity-Endorsed Megachurch Accused Of Violating Washington Consumer And Wage Acts In Lawsuit | Seattle, WA
A video editor for Churchome is suing the megachurch and its top leaders for allegedly forcing staff to give 10 percent of wages back to the church.
A video editor for Churchome is suing the megachurch and its top leaders for allegedly forcing staff to give 10% of wages back to the church.
Churchome is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington and according to its most recent annual report, has more than 300,000 people attending its online and in-person services, with high-profile followers like Justin Bieber and former Seattle Seahawk Russell Wilson, who is listed as a board member.
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(March 29) Judge Rejects Lawsuit Seeking To Stop Louisiana Churches From Leaving The UMC | Baton Rouge, LA
A judge has ruled against a lawsuit seeking to stop congregations in Louisiana from leaving the United Methodist Church, citing the constitutionally protected separation of church and state.
District Court Judge Kelly Balfour ruled last week against a lawsuit brought by a group of United Methodist clergy trying to stop disaffiliation votes in the UMC Louisiana Conference.
The clergy had sued Louisiana Conference and the regional body’s board of trustees earlier this month, as they took issue with the disaffiliation process for congregations seeking to leave the denomination.
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(March 29) Wilson County Government Filed Lawsuit Against Pastor Greg Locke For Zoning Violation, Excessive Noise At Global Vision Bible Church | Wilson County
The Wilson County government sued Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church for allegedly violating zoning regulations and having excessive noise in their church. The pastor planned to counter-sue them and said they would not permit this bullying.
According to Newsweek, on Thursday, Mar. 23, Tom Brashear, the Director of Wilson County Development Services, filed a lawsuit against Global Vision Church and its pastor, Greg Locke. The case argues that the defendants built structures without the appropriate permit and created excessive noise.
As mentioned, in July of 2019, a stop work order was issued to the church in Mt. Juliet, Wilson County, which was constructing an expansion to the facility.
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(March 29) Charleston Church Attack Survivors Push For South Carolina Hate Crime Bill | Columbia, SC
Two survivors of a 2015 racist massacre that killed nine of their friends at a Charleston church told a group of state senators Tuesday that South Carolina’s lack of a hate crimes law is an insult to what they suffered through at their Bible study.
The survivors said it sends a message that the state isn’t serious about stopping the kind of wickedness that led to the massacre.
South Carolina and Wyoming remain the only U.S. states without a law giving stiffer penalties for crimes motivated by someone’s race, sexual orientation, religion or disability.
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