Image Credit: AppalachianCentrist / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
After being denied a permit to hold a vigil for the late Charlie Kirk at a city-owned common area, a resident of Morristown is receiving some extra help in his legal defense from Tennessee’s Attorney General who is threatening to sue the city should they continue to forbid the gathering.
The Tennessee Conservative previously reported on Morristown citizen Brad Tumey’s petition to host a Charlie Kirk memorial gathering back in September. He was told his desired location, a downtown green space, could not be used as a city ordinance prohibits the public area from any “political or religious activities” and the permit application was subsequently not approved.
Tumey obtained legal representation from Liberty First Institute which sent a letter to city officials urging them to allow the vigil to proceed as the city’s blanket regulation prohibiting religious activities is in violation of Tumey’s freedom of speech and free exercise of religion.
The letter also suggested the city may be in violation of the Tennessee Religious Freedom Restoration Act (TRFRA), which further prevents the government from burdening a person’s religious exercise, and addressed seeming hypocrisies in the regulations which theoretically allow private businesses to utilize the venue but not local churches for similar activities.
The case apparently caught the attention Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, who appears to conclude with Liberty First’s assessment as he sent his own letter to Morristown, “criticizing the ordinance for blatantly discriminating against religion and warning the city against future enforcement of it.”
Skrmetti stated the Morristown ordinance is violation of Tennessee’s Human Rights Act and that it is his responsibility as AG to enforce the Act. “If it comes to it, we will file suit and fight hard to vindicate Tennesseans’ religious liberty,” he cautioned.
He also confirmed his belief that the case has “significant First Amendment issues at stake,” but acknowledged those are outside of his enforcement authority under state law.
Overall, he urged Morristown officials to avoid litigation as it is both costly and time consuming for all parties involved. “Sometimes common sense can get us to the right place faster. If Morristown is willing to forego enforcement of the religiously-discriminatory part of this ordinance and to stand by that decision in good faith going forward, that would assuage my enforcement concerns,” he proposed.
The letter concluded with a requirement of the city to preserve all documentation and information relevant to their enforcement of the ordinance from May of 2021 to present and offered Morristown Mayor Gary Chesney until Sept. 29 to communicate with Skrmetti if he was “interested in talking this out.”
It is currently unknown if Mayor Chesney chose to communicate with the AG, but Liberty First recently reported that since receiving their initial letter, Morristown officials have doubled down on their initial stance, confirming the city would not approve the “religious gathering”.
“With the support of the attorney general, we’re asking the city to approve Brad’s vigil, so he can freely express his faith along with so many others in his community who are turning to faith as they grieve and process the tragedy of Kirk’s death,” Liberty First wrote. “Stopping someone from peacefully gathering and praying in a public space is contrary to what religious freedom and free speech in America are all about. The city needs to do what’s right, follow the law, and provide assurance that it will no longer enforce its unconstitutional policy.”
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
2 Responses
Good!
Morristown needs to stand up and replace their leaders with moral Godly Patriotic people. Stop the madness in your community: take a stand and follow it through whether people like it or not. We are engaged in a battle of good v. evil and the enemy is using city, county and state boards and councils to achieve his mission of destruction from the inside out. It is time the people of TN get a backbone and FIGHT. It actually feels really good when you are fighting for your community, your life, because those who oppose will show their true colors and who they really serve.