N.Y. town silences religious speech on private property, issues citation for gospel message on trailer
Attorneys with ADF to assist Gouverneur man in criminal case
Tuesday, December 11, 2007

GOUVERNEUR, N.Y. — Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund have agreed to assist a New York man cited by his town for displaying a gospel message on a trailer on his private business property. Town of Gouverneur officials have not issued citations against other types of speech, such as commercial messages, displayed on private property along area roads.

“Christians should not be treated as second-class citizens,” said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. “The U.S. Supreme Court gives special protection to speech on private property. It has distinctly ruled that the government cannot give commercial speech on private property more rights than non-commercial speech on private property. And it does not allow towns to ban religious speech just because some may consider it ‘offensive,’ as this town’s permit scheme allows. Gouverneur officials were wrong to issue the citation.” the rest