Monday, October 05, 2020

Satanic Temple Sues Ad Agency For Refusing Abortion Billboards [UPDATED]

The Satanic Temple ("TST") announced last week that it has filed suit against Lamar Billboard Company for religious discrimination and breach of contract after the company refused to put up billboards promoting The Satanic Temple's "religious abortion ritual."  TST said in part:

Sincere performance of this ritual exempts members from complying with many state regulations, such as mandatory waiting periods and compulsory counseling, that are not medically necessary and violate TST's religious beliefs.

TST wanted to place billboards near eight crisis pregnancy centers in Arkansas and Louisiana. TST puzzlingly said:

TST claims that Lamar's actions violate the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority's (ACRA's) nationally-applicable laws that prohibit religious discrimination.

ACRA appears to be an agency of the government of Singapore.

UPDATE: Here is the full text of the complaint in The Satanic Temple, Inc. v. Lamar Advertising of Louisiana, LLC, (AR Cir. Ct., filed 9/27/2020).  The complaint alleges, among other things, violation of the Arkansas Civil Rights Act, abbreviated ACRA. Whoever wrote TST's press release apparently Googled ACRA and came up with Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. [Thanks to Eugene Volokh via Religionlaw for access to the complaint.]