We told you last week about how the Salem Public School Committee was poised to pass a policy amendment that would have banned all religious organizations from renting space in school facilities. The Committee didn’t even try to hide its reason for making this change, stating openly that they needed this ban because some religious organizations might have values that “don’t align” with Salem’s. Unsurprisingly, the only religious organizations that currently rent space from Salem are Christian organizations.
House of Promise Church, led by Pastor Richard Hyatt, meets at Saltonstall School for Sunday worship services and has never had any issues with the school. When Pastor Hyatt reached out and told us Salem intended to evict his church from a public space because of their religious beliefs, our legal center immediately sent a demand letter to the School Committee. We let them know their actions would violate decades of First Amendment legal precedent that outlaw viewpoint discrimination. If they followed through on their policy proposal, they would face a federal lawsuit.
This showdown generated national media attention, with Fox News and the Boston Herald covering the story, and MFI attorney Sam Whiting joining Fox and Friends First with Pastor Hyatt to discuss the situation.
We are pleased to report that on Tuesday night, the School Committee abruptly sent the policy back to its policy subcommittee for further review and revisions, including consultations with their legal counsel. This was an about-face from their previous meeting, where all members voted to advance the policy to a final reading and vote. But when faced with our legal demand, the Committee backed down, at least for now.
We trust that the Salem School Committee will now do the right thing and remove the discriminatory language from its proposed policy. If they choose to go a different route, we are standing by to protect the rights of Pastor Hyatt and his congregation to worship freely in Salem.
Please continue to support our efforts to protect religious liberty by keeping us in your prayers and making a donation today.
Share this blog by clicking the icons below!
