As reported by the New Orleans Advocate and a Liberty Institute press release , a lawsuit was filed last Thursday on behalf of Vintage Church in Metairie, Louisiana seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent enforcement of the Jefferson Parish Noise Ordinance against the church. The suit claims that enforcement violates the church's rights under the Louisiana Preservation of Religious Freedom Act. The church is meeting on Sundays in an outdoor tent while one of its buildings is undergoing expansion. After neighbors-- one in particular-- complained that the services were too loud, enforcement authorities monitored sound levels and issued two criminal summons to the executive pastor. The lawsuit charges that it is discriminatory to limit the church's services to 60 decibels while allowing louder noise from power tools, lawn mowers and demolition activities.
UPDATE: The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that on Dec. 22, the trial court denied the church's request for injunctive relief.
