Americans United Announces Settlement in Tennessee Church-State case
A Tennessee county has agreed to erect a local man’s display promoting church-state separation as part of a legal settlement, Americans United for Separation of Church and State announced today. Earlier this year, Americans United challenged the Johnson County Commission’s decision to display the Ten Commandments and Christian literature in the county courthouse lobby while refusing to display Ralph Stewart’s posters about the historic role of church-state separation in American law. As part of a legal settlement to end the case, the Johnson County Commission has agreed to hang Stewart’s posters in a prominent place and make changes to its policy concerning other displays. “I’d prefer for government to stay out of the business of promoting religious documents altogether,” said Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “But if government officials choose to go down this path, they must at least play fair and treat all citizens equally.” The dispute began in 2008 after t...