WICHITA, Kan. — City of Wichita officials have agreed to a
consent order from a federal court that concludes that police violated the constitutional rights of a pastor when they arrested him as he prepared to peacefully express his Christian beliefs on a public sidewalk. Pastor Mark Holick is represented by attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund.
“Christians shouldn’t be penalized for expressing their beliefs,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Joel Oster. “We are pleased city of Wichita officials will now ensure that Pastor Holick is free to exercise his First Amendment rights in public without fear of arrest.”
Holick was arrested June 24, 2007, while attempting to peacefully express his faith on a public sidewalk with other members of his church outside of an event celebrating homosexual behavior. Holick, who notified police of the group’s plans a week before the event, was confronted by eight to 10 officers, who informed him that he would be arrested if he did not leave the public sidewalk. They charged him with trespassing and arrested him after he refused to move to a private parking lot across the street. The charges were later dismissed.
“The actions of the police were based solely on the perceived content of our Christian speech and beliefs,” said Holick. “They arrested me before I even had a chance to speak.”
ADF filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Jan. 17 on behalf of Holick. The consent order states that the police violated Holick’s constitutional rights and that the city “agrees to permit Mark Holick to engage in his First Amendment rights in the future on the same terms and conditions as all other citizens, and will not be discriminated against due to his religious speech.”
- Consent order issued March 30 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas in Holick v. City of Wichita
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.
www.telladf.org