Suit Challenges Virginia County's Sexual Orientation Protections

Yesterday Liberty Counsel announced that it had filed suit in an Arlington County, Virginia court to challenge an April 2006 determination by the Arlington County Human Rights Commission that a video company engaged in illegal discrimination under the county's Human Rights Code when the company refused to duplicate two videos promoting gay and lesbian rights for a customer. Tim Bono, owner of Bono Film and Video, Inc., had responded to an e-mail request from Lilli M. Vincenz that Bono Film does not duplicate material that is obscene, embarrassing to employees, damaging to the company’s reputation or that runs counter to the company’s Core Values and Christian and ethical values. The suit asserts that local anti-discrimination codes that include sexual orientation violate a judicial doctrine applied by Virginia courts known as Dillon's Rule. The suit claims that the doctrine should be read to prohibit enforcement of local anti-discrimination laws that go beyond statewide rules.