Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, et al. v. Kurt Browning
What's at Stake
The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Florida joined other civil liberties, religious and education organizations in filing a lawsuit challenging the ballot language of a proposed Florida amendment that would eliminate Florida’s ban on taxpayer funding of religious organizations and create a virtual requirement that public funds be used to support religious institutions – institutions that hold beliefs to which many Floridians don’t subscribe.
Summary
The lawsuit is being filed on behalf of:
• Lee Swift, president of the Florida School Boards Association;
• Susan Summers-Persis, president of the Florida Association of School Administrators;
• Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, Rabbi, Temple Shalom;
• Rev. Kent Siladi, conference minister for the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ;
• Rev. Harry Parrott of Clay County, retired Baptist minister;
• Rev. Harold Brockus of St. Petersburg, retired pastor;
• Rabbi Jack Romberg, Temple Israel; and
• Rev. Bobby Musengwa, pastor, Maximo Presbyterian Church
Other organizations joining the ACLU in filing the lawsuit are the Florida Education Association, the National Education Association, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State; the Anti-Defamation League and the law firms Meyer, Brooks, Demma and Blohm and Bredhoff and Kaiser, P.L.L.C.
Legal Documents
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07/20/2011
Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, et al. v. Kurt Browning - No-Aid Complaint
Date Filed: 07/20/2011
Download DocumentPress Releases
Florida Ballot Initiative Will Strip Away Religious Liberty, Says ACLU