St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church et al. v. City of Brookings (D.Or.)

On March 27, 2024, the court granted plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment and denied the City’s motions for summary judgment and to dismiss.  Consistent with the United States’ arguments in its Statement of Interest, the court held that the City violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act by imposing a substantial burden on plaintiffs’ religious exercise when it enacted an ordinance that limited the number of days on which a church was permitted to serve free meals to persons experiencing homelessness or in need.  The court further found that the City lacked a compelling governmental interest to justify these restrictions.  The court concluded, “The homeless are not ‘vagrants,’ but are citizens in need.  This is a time for collaboration, not ill-conceived ordinances that restrict care and resources for vulnerable people in our communities.”

Press Release (11/17/2023)