Atheist Group Sues City of Detroit Over Grants to Churches
April 19, 2006 | Read Time: 1 minute
American Atheists, a New Jersey group that advocates for the rights of atheists, and a Detroit man are suing the City of Detroit and its Downtown Development Authority for giving $690,000 in municipal grants to two churches, reports The Detroit News.
The money was to help the churches “spruce up” in time for the Super Bowl, which was held in Detroit in February.
Citing the First Amendment as well as the article of the Michigan Constitution that prohibits the state from giving money to religious societies, the lawsuit reads, “Such direct subsidies of religious organizations from taxpayer-derived funds violate the plaintiffs’ rights to be free of taxation for the support of religious organizations.”
City officials were not available to comment on the lawsuit, the newspaper said.
