On Monday, a federal district judge sided with a Michigan farmer, declaring that he is allowed to participate in a city-run farmer’s market after being barred from doing so due to his Catholic views on marriage.
Steve Tennes, owner of Country Mill Farms, was barred from the East Lansing farmer’s market in 2017 after posting on Facebook that he adheres to the Catholic Church’s teachings on marriage, including rejecting same-sex weddings at his family’s orchard.
East Lansing officials reacted by imposing a “discretionary system of individual assessments” on Tennes and his farm, despite the fact that Tennes had never had any complaints from consumers, according to his legal team.
Tennes and his farm sued the city of East Lansing in 2017.
Okay, so here is what went down.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney ruled that the city’s ban on Tennes “constituted a burden on plaintiffs’ religious beliefs.”
Tennes and his farm “were forced to choose between following their religious beliefs and a government benefit for which they were otherwise qualified,” violating his right to exercise his religion freely, Maloney ruled.
“The reason is simple: denying a person an equal share of the rights, benefits, and privileges enjoyed by other citizens because of her faith discourages religious activity,” the court said, quoting the 6th Circuit appeals court.
Tennes’ farm is also 22 miles from East Lansing, which, according to his legal team, is outside of the city’s jurisdiction.
When Tennes originally sued the city in 2017, the same court ordered a preliminary injunction, requiring the city to allow him to participate in the farmer’s market while his case was being heard.
His legal team stated that he has had no problems with his farm’s participation in the farmer’s market since then.
“He serves and welcomes everyone to his stand. No one is ever turned away,” attorney John Bursch said Tuesday.
Tennes was represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative legal group.
“Tennes and Country Mill Farms are grateful for the court’s decision protecting religious liberty,” said ADF Senior Counsel Kate Anderson, who argued before the court for Tennes.
“At the same time, they are eager to mend fences with current city officials and get back to doing what Country Mill does best—as expressed in its mission statement: ‘glorifying God by facilitating family fun on the farm and feeding families,’” Anderson said.
In recent years, the Supreme Court has heard several high-profile cases involving business owners who opposed same-sex marriage on religious grounds.
The Supreme Court overturned a Colorado statute in June that would have penalized a Christian graphic designer for refusing to develop a website for a same-sex wedding that offended her religious views.
That case was similar to another Colorado Supreme Court case.
The Supreme Court narrowly found in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to prepare a wedding cake for a same-sex couple in 2018. In that case, the court overturned the Colorado Civil Rights Commission’s verdict against Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips, saying the state had failed to be religiously neutral.
