ADF to court: City unjustly denied ad for Ind. women in need
ADF attorney available to media after hearing in Fort Wayne bus ad case
Friday, May 8, 2015
Attorney sound bite: Jonathan Scruggs
WHO: ADF Legal Counsel Jonathan Scruggs
WHAT: Available for media interviews following hearing in Women’s Health Link v. Fort Wayne Public Transportation Corp.
WHEN: Monday, May 11, immediately following hearing, which begins at 1:30 p.m. EDT
WHERE: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, 325 Robert A. Grant Federal Building, 204 S. Main St., South Bend
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Jonathan Scruggs will be available for media interviews Monday following a federal court hearing regarding the Fort Wayne bus system’s refusal to accept an ad from Women’s Health Link, a life-affirming health care referral service for women in need.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Jonathan Scruggs will be available for media interviews Monday following a federal court hearing regarding the Fort Wayne bus system’s refusal to accept an ad from Women’s Health Link, a life-affirming health care referral service for women in need.
ADF attorneys filed a federal lawsuit in April 2014 against Citilink for denying the ad because the city-run bus company said the referral service’s website contains information on “controversial issues.”
“The First Amendment protects freedom of speech for all people, regardless of their political or religious beliefs,” said Scruggs. “City officials cannot censor speech simply because it does not agree with it. Government has a responsibility to ensure that all organizations benefit from community advertising, and that includes Women’s Health Link.”
Women’s Health Link is a free referral resource for women seeking physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental health care. In November 2013, Women’s Health Link asked to place advertising cards in the interior of Citilink’s buses that contained a picture of a young woman and the tagline “You’re Not Alone” along with the center’s contact information.
The ad is virtually indistinguishable from a United Way ad and health-related government ads that Citilink approved. ADF attorneys argue that the bus system unconstitutionally prohibited Women’s Health Link’s ad because of its life-affirming viewpoint and association with a pro-life group.
“The city’s stated reasons for denying this ad do not pass constitutional muster,” added ADF Senior Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco. “We hope the court will rule to protect constitutional freedoms, require Citilink to revise its policies, and allow our client’s advertisement.”
“The First Amendment protects freedom of speech for all people, regardless of their political or religious beliefs,” said Scruggs. “City officials cannot censor speech simply because it does not agree with it. Government has a responsibility to ensure that all organizations benefit from community advertising, and that includes Women’s Health Link.”
Women’s Health Link is a free referral resource for women seeking physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental health care. In November 2013, Women’s Health Link asked to place advertising cards in the interior of Citilink’s buses that contained a picture of a young woman and the tagline “You’re Not Alone” along with the center’s contact information.
The ad is virtually indistinguishable from a United Way ad and health-related government ads that Citilink approved. ADF attorneys argue that the bus system unconstitutionally prohibited Women’s Health Link’s ad because of its life-affirming viewpoint and association with a pro-life group.
“The city’s stated reasons for denying this ad do not pass constitutional muster,” added ADF Senior Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco. “We hope the court will rule to protect constitutional freedoms, require Citilink to revise its policies, and allow our client’s advertisement.”
- Fact sheet: Women’s Health Link v. Fort Wayne Public Transportation Corp.
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.
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