BREAKING: D.C. Ponies Up Cash Amid COVID-19 Church Lawsuithttps://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/tyler-o-neil/2021/07/08/breaking-d-c-ponies-up-cash-amid-covid-19-church-lawsuit-n1460531On Thursday, the Washington, D.C., government agreed to fork over more than $200,000 to settle Capitol Hill Baptist Church’s (CHBC) lawsuit challenging Mayor Muriel Bowser’s COVID-19 ban on in-person services, even services outdoors with proper social distancing.
Bowser’s restrictions prohibited church services with more than 100 people. CHBC, an 853-member church, had asked to worship at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, but Bowser had refused. The church sued on September 22, 2020, and a district court granted an injunction in October. Bowser has since dropped the COVID-19 restrictions. In the settlement, Bowser’s lawyers pledged never to violate CHBC’s religious freedom through excessive COVID-19 restrictions again and agreed to pay $220,000 in legal fees.
“All Capitol Hill Baptist Church ever asked is for equal treatment under the law so they could meet together safely as a church,” Hiram Sasser, Executive General Counsel for First Liberty Institute, said in a statement on Thursday. “The church is relieved and grateful that this ordeal is behind them.”
States need laws whereby government officials can be sued in their personal capacities for patently obvious constitutional violations like this one.
