Faith-based Pregnancy Resource Center Targeted by City of Austin
The city of Austin, Texas targeted a Christian Pregnancy Resource Center by forcing the ministry to post signs disclaiming the services they did not perform, while pro-abortion groups were not required to post any sign or disclaimer. Learn more about how we fought and won the case at Firstliberty.org/Briefing.
Thank you for joining us for the First Liberty Briefing, an exclusive podcast where host Jeremy Dys—also First Liberty Senior Counsel—provides an insider’s look at the stories, cases, people and laws that have made America the world’s leader in protecting religious liberty.
In 2010, the City of Austin, Texas—a town that takes pride in keeping itself weird—passed an ordinance that targeted pro-life, Christian pregnancy resource centers.
These centers, as you may guess, care for women during their pregnancies, helping them with parenting and other resources, but were, out of conviction, opposed to the concept of abortion. But, the City of Austin thought that was too weird and, by its ordinance, forced the pro-life resource centers to post signs at their entrance disclaiming the services they did not perform, while pro-abortion groups were not required to post any sign or disclaimer.
First Liberty Institute filed a federal lawsuit seeking to invalidate that ordinance on behalf of three pregnancy resource centers. The argument was pretty simple: the Free Speech clause of the First Amendment prevents the city governments from compelling the speech of religious organizations like these pregnancy centers and, by requiring the disclaimers by religious organizations while exempting secular organizations, cities violate the First Amendment’s religion clauses.
Well, it took a few years of litigation, but those unconstitutional ordinances in Austin are gone.
Cities contemplating the idea of following Austin’s example should be advised that not only will they lose in court, like the City of Austin, you will have to pay our attorney fees for such illegal action.
To learn how First Liberty is protecting Religious Liberty for all Americans, visit FirstLiberty.org.
First Liberty Institute is the largest organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to protecting religious freedom for all Americans. Find out more here.
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