Jury Sides With Boy Scouts in Philadelphia Gay-Rights Case
June 24, 2010 | Read Time: 1 minute
A federal jury ruled Wednesday that Philadelphia officials cannot evict a local Boy Scouts chapter from city-owned offices because of the organization’s policy of barring gays from serving as scouts or troop leaders, The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
The Scouts’ Cradle of Liberty Council filed suit over the city’s plan to end the rent-free lease because the charity does not comply with Philadelphia’s anti-discrimination ordinance. The council contended that the city’s order that it vacate the property or pay a market rent violated its First Amendment and equal-protection rights.
The jurors said the city’s requirement that the local council repudiate or renounce the national Boy Scouts gay ban created an “unconstitutional condition.” Lawyers for the charity said they expected the judge to issue an injunction barring the city from evicting the Scouts over the issue.
