Indiana Agrees To Narrow Interpretation of Sex Offender Restriction, Alleviating Religious Freedom Issue

AP reported yesterday that the ACLU of Indiana has agreed to a judge's dismissal of a lawsuit it filed (see prior posting) challenging restrictions on serious sex offenders after the state agreed to an interpretation of the law that essentially resolves the problem.  Indiana Code § 35-42-4-14 bars serious sex offenders from entering "school property," and the ACLU feared that this had the effect of prohibiting these offenders from attending worship services in churches, mosques or synagogues located on the same property as parochial schools. However now the state agrees that the ban only applies to worship services when they are held in a building owned by a private school (or leased by it).  It does not apply to worship services in the church, mosque or synagogue's own building.