ACLJ Gets Injunction from Federal Court Clearing the Way for Post Sept. 11 Prayers and Grief Counseling to Occur in Public Housing Facility in New York City.

Business Editors

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 16, 2002

The American Center for Law and Justice, an international public interest law firm, announced today that a federal court in New York has granted a preliminary injunction clearing the way for a pastor to conduct prayer and grief counseling at a public housing facility - a facility that was placed off limits for prayer and grief counseling following the tragic events of September 11 by the New York City Housing Authority.

"This is an important recognition that our client has the right to meet to pray and counsel those affected by the tragic events of September 11," said Vincent McCarthy, Senior Counsel of the ACLJ which has filed suit in the case. "The housing authority was wrong when it denied access to our client and we're pleased the court has cleared the way for prayer and counseling sessions to occur. At a time when New Yorkers are still dealing with the aftermath of the terrorist events - now more than one year later - it is only proper that the city permit prayer and counseling to take place in a public housing facility which is often used for a wide variety of community programs."

The ACLJ filed suit in February 2002 in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Long Island in Central Islip, New York on behalf of Pastor Joan Daily, a Christian minister who has been a long-time resident of a public housing development in Woodside in Queens, New York.

The suit contends that after the September 11 attacks, Pastor Daily applied to reserve a room at the Woodside Community Center in mid-October to conduct a Bible study and pray for those affected by the September 11 events that claimed the lives of several Woodside residents. The suit contends the facility is routinely used by Woodside residents for a wide variety of purposes including exercise groups, adult and continuing education programs, and youth programs that include karate classes and computer programs.

According to the suit, Pastor Daily's request was rejected by the New York City Housing Authority saying the facilities could not be used for religious or political purposes and cited a city policy that prohibits "religious services, unless the religious services are directly connected to the principal reason for a family-oriented event, such as weddings."

The ACLJ has just been notified of a decision made on September 11, 2002 by U.S. District Court Judge David Trager who granted the ACLJ request for a preliminary injunction saying the city's denial "is not reasonable."

The ACLJ names as defendants in the suit the New York City Housing Authority, the Director of Community Operations, the Borough Administrator, and the Center Director. The ACLJ contends the actions and policy of the city violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The suit requests the court to grant an injunction to prohibit the discriminatory policy from being used further and asks the court to declare the policy invalid and unconstitutional.

The American Center for Law and Justice is an international public interest law firm and educational organization that specializes in constitutional law. The ACLJ is headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA and its web site address is www.aclj.org.