Civil Right Org Files Fed Lawsuit, Seeks Injunction Against Air Force Academy’s Proselytizing Prayer Luncheon

ALBUQUERQUE – Albuquerque-based Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) has just filed a formal Federal court complaint and will imminently file a companion Motion for Temporary Injunction today in Federal District court (Colorado) demanding that the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) cancel its upcoming National Prayer Luncheon, on the grounds that it is a blatant violation of the plaintiffs’ Constitutional rights as guaranteed by the First Amendment.

MRFF has retained the services of renowned civil rights attorney David Lane in filing this injunction

• COMPLAINT
• PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION
• PLAINTIFFS’ BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

MRFF has previously demanded that USAFA rescind their invitation to former Marine Lt. Clebe McClary to speak at the aforementioned National Prayer Luncheon event. This lawsuit filing is in direct response to the Air Force Academy’s lack of acceptable response to MRFF’s demand.

“Egregiously sectarian statements like [those] from former Lt. McClary blatantly exclude not only non-Christians, but also the many Christians who do not subscribe to a particularly fundamentalist view of Christianity,” said Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, President and Founder of MRFF.

Supporting Information

MRFF’s January 20th, 2011 Demand Letter to U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael C. Gould

A recent article from Truth-Out, which provides a thorough explanation and background information regarding USAFA’s invitation of former Lt. McClary, entitled “Onward Christian Soldiers … To Hypocrisy”:

Another recent article that provides background information on former Lt. McClary’s invitation to USAFA’s prayer luncheon, entitled “Air Force Academy Speaker Thinks USMC Means ‘United States Marines for Christ‘”

VT offers its continued editorial support for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation in this matter.