‘No one should be forced to ask the government’s permission to express their faith in a public space. The First Amendment is his permit’
By Bob Unruh
A town in South Carolina is changing its ordinances and has agreed to pay damages for its scheme to censor a Christian resident’s statement of faith.
It is First Liberty Institute that battled in court on behalf of Ernest Giardino, and reached the settlement.
While the town of Chapin will pay “nominal damages” for its actions, it also will be held to account for lawyers’ fees.
It is a consent order, adopted by a federal court, that now enjoins Chapin and its officials from enforcing an ordinance that kept Giardino from holding religious signs on public ways in the town without a permit.
The two sides “agreed on the contents of the order” after town officials moved to change their ordinance.
“Mr. Giardino just wants to share his Christian faith with others,” said Nate Kellum, lawyer for First Liberty Institute. “We commend the town for revising the ordinance language so Mr. Giardino can live out his faith in the public sphere.”