CV NEWS FEED // A faith-based nonprofit is suing the DC metro for rejecting its advertisements, according to December 12 press statements.
The nonprofit organization Wallbuilders filed a complaint on Tuesday, asking a D.C. district court judge to declare the metro’s policy unconstitutional.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) prohibits any advertisements meant “to influence members of the public regarding an issue on which there are varying opinions” or “promote or oppose any religion, religious practice or belief.”
The First Liberty Institute, a religious liberty law firm, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) will both be supporting the WallBuilders’ suit.
The ACLU, which prioritizes LGBTQ+ issues and defending abortion, is often at odds with faith-based organizations.
The proposed advertisements featured images such as George Washington praying, and the signing of the U.S. Constitution with text reading: “Christian? To find out about the faith of our founders, go to wallbuilders.com.”
Wallbuilders asked WMATA for clarification on the rejection and resubmitted advertisements with only the images and the text “visit wallbuilders.com.” WMATA did not clarify and rejected the ads again.
“Although WMATA Guideline 9 prohibits ‘[a]dvertisements intended to influence members of the public regarding an issue on which there are varying opinions,’ WMATA continues to permit advertisements on a variety of controversial issues on which members of the public have varying opinions, including allowing a number of advertisements that criticize or promote religious practices and belief,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint found that WMATA had advertised religious-related ads such as the play “The Book of Mormon” and the Catholic University of America. Wallbuilders pointed out that WMATA posted an ad that read “DEMAND SUPREME COURT TERM LIMITS.” Their ads have also promoted things such as Social Justice School, which helps train middle-schoolers to be activists, and other things on which the public has “varying opinions,” such as Earth Day.
The lawsuit contends that the WMATA guidelines violate Freedom of Speech.
“The First Amendment grants all Americans the right to express their point of view, religious or secular,” First Liberty Senior Counsel Jeremy Dys stated in a December 12 press release. “Rejecting a faith-based advertising banner by labeling it an ‘issue ad,’ while accepting other ads, such as those promoting a ‘Social Justice School,’ ‘Earth Day,’ and the highly controversial idea of term limits for Supreme Court Justices, is clearly hypocritical, discriminatory, and illegal.
Arthur Spitzer, senior counsel at the ACLU-D.C., said in a statement that the case is “a critical reminder of what’s at stake when government entities exercise selective censorship.”
“The First Amendment doesn’t play favorites; it ensures that all voices, regardless of their message, have the right to be heard,” Spitzer added. “The government cannot arbitrarily decide which voices to silence in public forums.”