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FFRF Sues Indiana over Creation of State Govt Agency
Via NY Transfer News Collective All the News that Doesn't Fit
FFRF - May 2, 2007
http://ffrf.org/news/2007/indianalawsuit.php
New Federal Challenge
Watchdog Group Sues Indiana over FSS Chaplaincy
May 2, 2007
(Madison, Wis.) The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national
state/church watchdog group, is filing a faith-based challenge this
week in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Indiana,
challenging the creation of a chaplaincy for the Indiana Family and
Social Services Administration (FSSA). Co-plaintiffs with the national
association include Craig Gosling, John Kiel, Sean O'Brien and Diana
O'Brien, all Indiana Foundation members, residents and taxpayers.
The FSSA hired Pastor Michael L. Latham, a Baptist minister, in 2006,
at a salary of $60,000 a year, paid with revenue from state taxpayers.
The job description states that Rev. Latham "serves as the Chaplain for
the Family and Social Services Administration and functions as a staff
advisor on all problems involving spiritual needs of the employees. He
also serves as the strategic director for policy, procedures and
communication efforts on faith-based services. The position reports
directly to the FSSA Chief of Staff."
The job description requires the chaplain to be an "ordained or
licensed minister in good standing with a recognized religious
denomination or group" and to have "expert knowledge of current
standards and practices of religious and faith-based community service
groups."
His duties include:
ministering and counseling FSSA employees, contractors, etc., to
connect with compassion with serving FSSA clients;
developing a statewide network of volunteer ministers to serve as
liaisons on information "related to religious services and faith-based
community involvement"
developing workshops to "train and educate FSSA staff on encouraging a
faithful environment in the workplace"
participating in outreach efforts to faith-based organizations
preparing and presenting faith-based services at statewide stakeholder
meetings, and for legislators and service providers
It is the Foundation's understanding that there is no FSSA employee
responsible for development of a statewide network of secular
volunteers to counsel employees and contractors.
The Foundation's legal complaint maintains that program is "inherently
religious."
"Paying a member of the clergy with taxpayer money to provide
religious, faith-based counseling and to develop a statewide network of
volunteer ministers to do the same has no secular purpose." The
Foundation points out this "fosters an excessive entanglement with
religion."
The lawsuit seeks to enjoin the state from funding, creating or
maintaining the program. It asks the federal court to declare that the
program violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S.
Constitution, as well as article I, sections 4, 6 and 23 of the Indiana
Constitution.
The lawsuit is brought on behalf of the Foundation by attorneys for
Godfrey & Kahn in Madison, Wis, working with William O. Harrington of
Indiana. The 29-year-old national group has brought many lawsuits, most
recently focusing with great success on federal challenges of the
"faith-based initiative." The Freedom From Religion Foundation, based
in Madison, Wis., is a national association of freethinkers (atheists,
agnostics) that has been working since 1978 to keep church and state
separate.
Freedom From Religion Foundation PO Box 750 Madison, WI 53701
(608) 256-8900 e-mail us © Freedom From Religion Foundation.
================================================================
NY Transfer News Collective A Service of Blythe Systems
Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us
Search Archives: http://olm.blythe-systems.com/htdig/search.html
List Archives: http://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/
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Hash: SHA1
FFRF Sues Indiana over Creation of State Govt Agency
Via NY Transfer News Collective All the News that Doesn't Fit
FFRF - May 2, 2007
http://ffrf.org/news/2007/indianalawsuit.php
New Federal Challenge
Watchdog Group Sues Indiana over FSS Chaplaincy
May 2, 2007
(Madison, Wis.) The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national
state/church watchdog group, is filing a faith-based challenge this
week in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Indiana,
challenging the creation of a chaplaincy for the Indiana Family and
Social Services Administration (FSSA). Co-plaintiffs with the national
association include Craig Gosling, John Kiel, Sean O'Brien and Diana
O'Brien, all Indiana Foundation members, residents and taxpayers.
The FSSA hired Pastor Michael L. Latham, a Baptist minister, in 2006,
at a salary of $60,000 a year, paid with revenue from state taxpayers.
The job description states that Rev. Latham "serves as the Chaplain for
the Family and Social Services Administration and functions as a staff
advisor on all problems involving spiritual needs of the employees. He
also serves as the strategic director for policy, procedures and
communication efforts on faith-based services. The position reports
directly to the FSSA Chief of Staff."
The job description requires the chaplain to be an "ordained or
licensed minister in good standing with a recognized religious
denomination or group" and to have "expert knowledge of current
standards and practices of religious and faith-based community service
groups."
His duties include:
ministering and counseling FSSA employees, contractors, etc., to
connect with compassion with serving FSSA clients;
developing a statewide network of volunteer ministers to serve as
liaisons on information "related to religious services and faith-based
community involvement"
developing workshops to "train and educate FSSA staff on encouraging a
faithful environment in the workplace"
participating in outreach efforts to faith-based organizations
preparing and presenting faith-based services at statewide stakeholder
meetings, and for legislators and service providers
It is the Foundation's understanding that there is no FSSA employee
responsible for development of a statewide network of secular
volunteers to counsel employees and contractors.
The Foundation's legal complaint maintains that program is "inherently
religious."
"Paying a member of the clergy with taxpayer money to provide
religious, faith-based counseling and to develop a statewide network of
volunteer ministers to do the same has no secular purpose." The
Foundation points out this "fosters an excessive entanglement with
religion."
The lawsuit seeks to enjoin the state from funding, creating or
maintaining the program. It asks the federal court to declare that the
program violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S.
Constitution, as well as article I, sections 4, 6 and 23 of the Indiana
Constitution.
The lawsuit is brought on behalf of the Foundation by attorneys for
Godfrey & Kahn in Madison, Wis, working with William O. Harrington of
Indiana. The 29-year-old national group has brought many lawsuits, most
recently focusing with great success on federal challenges of the
"faith-based initiative." The Freedom From Religion Foundation, based
in Madison, Wis., is a national association of freethinkers (atheists,
agnostics) that has been working since 1978 to keep church and state
separate.
Freedom From Religion Foundation PO Box 750 Madison, WI 53701
(608) 256-8900 e-mail us © Freedom From Religion Foundation.
================================================================
NY Transfer News Collective A Service of Blythe Systems
Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us
Search Archives: http://olm.blythe-systems.com/htdig/search.html
List Archives: http://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/
Subscribe: http://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr
================================================================
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