Texas City Sued By Santeria Priest Over Animal Sacrifice Ban

Jose Merced, a Santeria priest, has filed suit against the city of Euless, Texas because it refuses to permit him to conduct religious ceremonies that include animal sacrifices. The Associated Press yesterday reported that the federal lawsuit filed in Fort Worth charges that city officials refused to grant Merced a permit even to conduct the ceremonies inside his home where neighbors would not see or hear them. City officials say that killing animals inside the city is illegal. Merced argues that animal sacrifice as a form of worship is central to Santeria and is protected by the First Amendment, citing a 1993 U.S. Supreme Court case, Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah.