Atheist Scores $200K from New Hope Settlement
HNN: New Hope Church is paying $775,000 to settle a lawsuit by local activist Mitch Kahle, Hawaii News Now has learned.
The payments were disclosed in filings in state Circuit Court by New Hope's parent organization, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.
Most of the money will go to the state's school system but a big chunk -- about $200,000 -- will go to Kahle for pursuing the lawsuit, which accuses New Hope and several other churches of underpaying the state to rent school facilities.
read ... New Hope paying $775K to settle suit
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ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM COMMENT
News Release from ADF February 13, 2014
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley regarding a new legal settlement between some Hawaii churches and two atheists who sued them in Kahle v. New Hope International Ministries: (The settlement occurred between churches not represented by Alliance Defending Freedom that remained in the lawsuit after a federal court last month dismissed from the suit two churches that Alliance Defending Freedom represents. In the wake of the settlement, the atheists reportedly have stated that they plan to file an amended lawsuit against the two churches dismissed from the suit.)
“Hawaii’s False Claims Act was never intended to bully churches into settlements when they did nothing wrong. Despite the settlement by some of the churches, this lawsuit never should have been brought in the first place. The court rightfully dismissed One Love Ministries and Calvary Chapel Central Oahu from this suit. They have committed no fraud, and any allegations that they did will be met with a strong defense.”
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.
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CB: What Will the Hawaii DOE Do With the $775K New Hope Settlement?
CN: Hawaii Church Reaches Settlement in Atheist Lawsuit Over Public School Rentals
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