Suit Challenges Village Newsletter's Promotion of Church-Sponsored Activities

Chicago area activist Rob Sherman announced that this week he filed a state court lawsuit against his home Village of Buffalo Grove (IL) challenging its use of its bi-monthly Village News and its weekly Village E-News to promote activities sponsored by religious organizations.  The most recent example which triggered the lawsuit was an E-News posting promoting an upcoming Pig and Corn Roast sponsored by Hope Lutheran Church in nearby Long Grove.  The complaint (full text) in Sherman v. Village of Buffalo Grove, (Cook Co. Cir. Ct., filed 8/24/2011), contends that the village is violating the First Amendment, as well as Art. VIII, Sec. 1(a) and Art. X, Sec. 3 of the Illinois Constitution that require public funds to be used only for public purposes and prohibit forcing taxpayer support of any religious institution. Buffalo Grove Patch reports on the filing of the lawsuit.