A complaint has been filed in federal court against the Putnam County, Tenn., public library for refusing permission for an author to use one of its meeting rooms to talk about her own book.

The reason? Library "policy" bans the use of the rooms for discussion of "religious" books, according to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee by the Alliance Defense Fund.

"It's incredibly ironic that discussing a book would be prohibited in a library," said ADF Senior Counsel Nate Kellum of the complaint filed yesterday. "The government cannot discriminate against Christians just because of their religious viewpoint."

A library worker today told WND that the manager who would be authorized to comment on the case was not available.

The complaint cites the trials and tribulations of author Ilene Vick, who wrote "Personality-based Evangelism."

Vick started trying last year to reserve a public meeting room at the library to talk about her book but was refused by officials several times, including by then-Cookeville branch director Diane Duncan.

Duncan had confirmed a room was available for public meetings, but she demanded more information about Vick's book. When the author stated, "It's faith based and it's called 'Personality Based Evangelism," Duncan said the room could not be used.

Vick later talked with Acting Director Nicole Pugh, who said, "The only religious purpose the room can be used for is to conduct church business, but not religious instruction," the complaint explains.

The policy provided at the time confirmed there were several content-based restrictions for use of the room, with a policy that said, "Rooms are not available for meetings of social, political, partisan, or religious purposes; for the benefit of private individuals or commercial concerns; for the presentation of one side of controversial matters; or, when, in the judgment of the Library Board, disorder may be likely to occur."

A third request submitted to a new director, Dana Brumbelow, got Vick the same answer.

"While precluding Vick and her expression, Putnam County allows other civic, cultural, and educational meetings to take place," the complaint said, arguing the library's policies are vague and overbroad, single out religious speech for discrimination, discriminate based on a viewpoint, chill free speech and free exercise of religion and are unreasonable.

It alleges violations of due process and equal protection.

It was just months ago that ADF attorneys obtained a favorable settlement in another lawsuit over a dispute regarding the use of a public library meeting room in Florida. In that case, the library changed its policy banning religious uses to allow a "Religion in America" seminar.

Then, Anthony Verdugo's request of the library in Osceola County was rejected because of the seminar's religious content.

Similarly, in 2009, a court ruled Contra Costa County, Calif., officials were not allowed to ban meetings it calls "religious services" at its Antioch Branch Library. Earlier cases developed in Richmond, Calif., and Elk River, Minn.

WND also reported when the ADF announced it dispatched letters to more than 150 government units across the nation asking them to correct policies that illegally target the religious content of community activities.

"I think it's finally gotten to a head," ADF senior legal counsel Joel Oster told WND at the time. "The Supreme Court in 2001 in the Good News case sealed the deal on this issue. It should not be litigated any more."

The organization explained government officials "frequently refuse or restrict Christian churches, groups, and individuals when they attempt to reserve facilities otherwise open to the public at schools, libraries, parks, and community centers – a practice routinely determined to be unconstitutional by the courts."

Oster said that many times inappropriate policies – imposing illegal limits on Christian and other religious groups – have gone unchallenged, and, as a result, churches and others are prevented from discussing their faith, while secular subjects are not banned.

ADF reported that as a result of its litigation over the years, policy changes have been made that already affect more than 1,900 public locations.

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August 14, 2010