[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]I cannot believe that! this political correctness crap has got to go!!! The very idea someone can't advertise for a roommate of the same basic religion!
A civil rights complaint has been filedagainst a woman in Grand Rapids, Mich., who posted an advertisement ather church last July seeking a Christian roommate.
The ad "expresses an illegal preference fora Christian roommate, thus excluding people of other faiths,” accordingto the complaint filed by the
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"It's a violation to make,
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] or publish a discriminatory statement," Executive Director Nancy Haynes told Fox News. "There are no exemptions to that."
Haynes said the unnamed 31-year-old woman’scase was turned over to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.Depending on the outcome of the case, she said, the woman could faceseveral hundreds of
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] in fines and “fair housing training so it doesn’t happen again.”
Harold Core, director of public affairswith the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, told the Grand RapidsPress that the Fair Housing Act prevents people from publishing anadvertisement stating their preference of religion, race or handicapwith respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling.
"It's really difficult to say at this point what could potentially happen," he told the
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But Joel Oster, an attorney with the
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"Clearly this woman has a right to pick and choose who she wants to live with," he said.
"Christians shouldn't live in fear of being punished by the
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]for being Christians. It is completely absurd to try to penalize asingle Christian woman for privately seeking a Christian roommate atchurch -- an obviously legal and constitutionally protected activity."
Haynes said the person who filed theinitial complaint saw the ad on the church bulletin board and contactedthe local fair housing organization.
The ad included the words, "Christianroommate wanted," along with the woman's contact information. Had thead not included the word "Christian," Haynes said, it would not havebeen illegal.
"If you read it and you were not Christian, would you not feel welcome to rent there?" Haynes asked.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] said he hopes the case will eventually be dropped and that he's sent aletter to the state asking the authorities to dismiss the case asgroundless.
"The First Amendment guarantees us Freedomof Religion," he said. "And we have the right to live with someone ofthe same faith. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights is denying herrights by pursuing this complaint." But Haynes said officials plan on pursuing the matter."We want to make sure it doesn't happen again," she said.