An atheist group is suing the City of Fort Worth over its decision to prevent advertising on lampposts for an event opposing the purported influence of Christianity on education in Texas.
The Metroplex Atheists (MA) plan to host an event in August opposing Christianity and urging for the further secularization of schools. For promotion, they sought to rent banner space on city-owned lampposts, a program that has been in place since the late 1990s.
Fort Worth rejected the group’s application, allegedly stating that the event did not meet the “magnitude” necessary to qualify, according to the complaint. The city policy does not state an explicit size requirement, and the group claims the city never asked how many people were expected to attend.
The group argues that the rejection amounts to a violation of the Establishment Clause of the Constitution’s First Amendment, “as incorporated to the states by the Fourteenth Amendment.” Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that the rejection infringes on their ability to speak freely, a right similarly protected by the First Amendment.
The group alleges that the city “acted with the intent to exclude Plaintiff from the Banner Forum because they disapproved of the banner’s anti-Christian Nationalism message. But they knew they could not do so openly and honestly without blatantly violating MA’s First Amendment rights. Instead, Defendants colluded and conspired behind closed doors to concoct a plan to exclude MA.”
Fort Worth’s “policies, practices, and customs are an attempt to preclude Metroplex Atheists—and only Metroplex Atheists—from the Banner Program because of its atheist worldview,” the suit continued. “Other religious entities, such as Texas Christian University and Kenneth Copeland Ministries, will at worst have their applications held in abeyance until the Defendants can establish a new policy.”
“Metroplex Atheists’ application, and it alone, was denied,” they claim.
Umair Khan, the president of Metroplex Atheists, asserted, “We did everything to meet the City of Fort Worth’s Banner Policy. We were denied purely on trumped-up claims nowhere in the policy, to disguise their prejudice,” per American Atheists.
“The City of Fort Worth’s decision infringes upon our fundamental constitutional rights,” he continued. “This authoritarian and theocratic action enable Christian nationalist groups to attack the democratic rights of all citizens and our public schools-which is the focus of our seminar.”
In 2019, the group claims it was allowed to display banners through Fort Worth’s program, putting up signs that read, “In NO God We Trust,” according to American Atheists. This generated substantial discontent in the City, but the mayor at the time, Betsy Price, said, “While many of us may not agree with the message, the organization did follow policies and procedures. … We must respect freedom of speech,” per American Atheists.
Metroplex Atheists claim to be “the longest standing secular organization in North Texas.”
“Beginning as a chapter of American Atheists in the late 1980’s, MA has continued to pursue activism on behalf of separation of church and state over the last few decades,” reads the group’s website.
The City of Forth Worth responded to the lawsuit, telling The Dallas Express, “The City is aware of the lawsuit, believes that it acted appropriately and will defend its position in Court.”
