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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Ind. Courts - ACLU sues in federal court "to block South Bend from spending $1.2 million to buy a Family Dollar store and selling the property for $1 to the local Roman Catholic diocese"

So reports the AP's Tom Coyle today in a story published in the Chicago Tribune. Some quotes:

"We hope to protect parents from having to support religious schooling that they don't agree with," said Barry Lynn, executive director of the American United group. "We think religious schools ought to be supported entirely from the goodwill of the folks that believe in that religion. They should not be turning to the rest of taxpayers to fund those projects and ministries."

The groups' complaint was filed a day after Marion Superior Court Judge Michael Keele declined to halt Indiana's broad new school voucher program, saying the law was "religion-neutral" and likely to be upheld. The voucher law is being challenged by a group of teachers and religious leaders backed by the Indiana State Teachers Association, claiming it violates the Indiana Constitution by providing public money to religious institutions.

The South Bend City Council voted 5-4 in June in favor of Mayor Steve Luecke's request to buy the Family Dollar property and transfer it to St. Joseph's High School. The diocese broke ground in June for the school, which is moving from its current location near the University of Notre Dame to the former site of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center near downtown. The school is scheduled to open in fall 2012.

City Attorney Chuck Leone said Tuesday that he was still reviewing the complaint, but says the city contends the deal will benefit the citizens of South Bend.

Here is a copy of the 8-page complaint, plus exhibits (42 pp. total), in Wirtz v. South Bend (ND Ind.), via eNews Park Forest.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on August 18, 2011 12:43 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts