Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Sacred Heart Parish, Grand Rapids; its school, Sacred Heart Academy, and several of the school’s families, filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against Michigan officials for violating their freedom under the First Amendment to practice and teach their Catholic faith. This lawsuit comes after the Michigan Supreme Court recently reinterpreted the prohibition on sex discrimination in Michigan’s Civil Rights Act and penal code to include sexual orientation and gender identity without exemptions for religious institutions. This means that religious institutions, like Sacred Heart, are unable to operate consistent with their religious beliefs.
“Sacred Heart parish has faithfully served Grand Rapids families for more than a century, and its school provides a rich academic and spiritual environment for hundreds of children. The government should respect their constitutionally protected freedom to follow the very faith that has motivated them to serve their community,” said Ryan Tucker, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom.
Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish was founded more than a century ago by Polish immigrants. The parish-run academy exists to support parents in forming their children in the Catholic faith by providing a classical Catholic education and serves nearly 400 children from pre-K through 12th grade. The parents who joined the lawsuit all have children attending Sacred Heart Academy.
ADF attorneys filed the lawsuit, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish v. Nessel, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Southern Division. The lawsuit highlights various scenarios where the new interpretation of the state civil rights act could undermine Sacred Heart’s constitutional right to religious liberty.
Read more about the lawsuit.
