ADF-allied attorney available to media after hearing in 7th Circuit church zoning appeal

WHO:  ADF-allied attorney David Langdon
WHAT:  Available for media interviews after hearing in River of Life Kingdom Ministries v. Village of Hazel Crest
WHEN:  Wednesday, Oct. 22, following hearing which begins at 9:30 a.m. CDT
WHERE:  U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, 2722 Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse, 219 South Dearborn St., Courtroom 2721, Chicago

CHICAGO — Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney David Langdon will be available for media interviews Wednesday following a hearing at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit concerning a Hazel Crest church prevented from meeting at property it has already legally purchased.

“Churches should not be singled out for discrimination by a city’s zoning restrictions,” said Langdon.  “Federal law forbids zoning officials from treating churches with this type of inequity.”

On Sept. 9, 2007, the pastor of River of Life Kingdom Ministries applied to the village for a special use permit to meet as a church in property it had recently purchased.  In January, the village’s board of trustees denied the application.  Unlike non-religious businesses such as art galleries, gymnasiums, and hotels, the village required churches and religious schools to obtain special permission to operate.

Langdon filed suit in federal court on behalf of the church in mid-February.  The court ruled against the church, and Langdon appealed to the 7th Circuit.

ADF Senior Legal Counsel Jeff Shafer is co-counsel on the case.  A fact sheet is available on the lawsuit here. 

ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.

Print This Page