In a
press release on Thursday, the ACLU and Americans United
announced that they are dropping a lawsuit filed in 2008 (see
prior posting) challenging a proposed D.C. arrangement with a religiously-sponsored homeless shelter:
The organizations filed the lawsuit ... after D.C. officials proposed giving the Central Union Mission approximately $7 million in cash, as well as a $9 million property called the Gales School, in exchange for property worth about $4 million.... At the time, the Mission required homeless men to attend Christian religious services as a condition of getting food and shelter....
[Under new arrangements] the Mission will lease the Gales School for $1 per year... and will rebuild and maintain the Gales School at its own expense.
The lease prohibits the Mission from “requir[ing] any individual seeking [the Mission’s] services to participate in religious services or religious studies as a condition to receiving any service at the Leased Premises,” though the Mission will be allowed to use the Gales School for voluntary religious activities. The ACLU and Americans United will monitor the new developments to make sure the lease arrangement meets constitutional requirements.
