WARREN, MI -- An ideological battle surrounding religion, free speech and equal access to public property led to a $100,000 judgment against Warren and its mayor, James R. Fouts.
Douglas Marshall, a Warren resident, couldn't help but notice the Christian "prayer station" he passed every time he entered the atrium at Warren's City Hall to pay water bills, property taxes or turn in an absentee ballot.
The prayer station, operated by volunteers for the Pentecostal Tabernacle Church of Warren since 2009, distributes religious literature, discusses theology and prays with passersby, the federal complaint says.
Marshall's lawsuit said he wanted to open a similar station of his own in the City Hall atrium, a "reason station," devoted to passing out literature about atheism and engaging the public in "philosophical discussions."
The complaint was filed jointly by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
The Madison, Wis.-based Freedom from Religion Foundation, dedicated to protecting "the fundamental constitutional principle of separation of church and state," has tangled with Warren's government before.
...Federal Magistrate Judge Michael Hluchaniuk for the Eastern District of Michigan U.S. District Court, on Feb. 23 ordered Marshall's reason station "be allowed to operate on terms not less favorable than the terms granted to the 'Prayer Station' currently allowed in the atrium space."
He also fined the city $100,000 for costs, damages and attorney fees..."
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