Suit Challenges Zoning Denial For Electronic Bible Verse Sign

On Monday a lawsuit was filed in federal district court against Chichester, New Hampshire by a non-profit organization that displays Christian scriptures on road signs on busy commuter streets. The complaint (full text) in Signs for Jesus v. Town of Chichester, (D NH, filed 3/7/2011), challenges the denial by the town's Planning Board of site plan approval for the display of an electronic message sign carrying Bible verses. The lawsuit alleges that the zoning denial violates the 1st and 14th Amendment rights of plaintiff, as well as the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. Alliance Defense Fund issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit.