A church in the downtown area threatens to sue the city, accusing it of religious discrimination and election interference days before early voting begins. NBC 5’s Meredith Yeomans sat down with the pastor.
A legal battle is brewing in Rowlett over a polling place.
A church in the downtown area threatens to sue the city, accusing it of religious discrimination and election interference days before early voting begins.
Pastor Cason Huddleston says Freedom Place Church is in Rowlett's heart and uniquely positioned to fulfill its mission.
“We want to serve the community any way we possibly can,” said Huddleston.
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So, when the Dallas County Elections Department asked the church to serve as Rowlett's only early voting site for the upcoming election, Huddleston agreed.
Days later, he says he received an urgent call from Rowlett’s city manager, who had a letter that needed to be delivered to him.
NBC 5 received a copy of the letter. It states that a recent review “indicates that the church’s certificate of occupancy was issued in error.”
The letter further states that the certificate could be revoked if certain actions aren't taken within 10 days and the church could be closed due to a lack of adequate parking.
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“I was shocked. I had to ask a lawyer friend what does this mean? Simply put, he said reverend, there's no way you can get this done in nine days and so I was at a loss,” recalled Huddleston.
Inadequate parking and the church's size are reasons Rowlett Mayor Blake Margolis told NBC 5 in early October that he feels the polling place should be moved about a half mile down the road.
“There is only one facility that makes sense to host this kind of turnout, and that is the Rowlett Community Center," said Mayor Margolis last week.
This isn't the city and church's first dispute over an election.
Last year, Mayor Margolis wrote in an email to council members that church buildings are "not where voting belongs" after he claimed Huddleston endorsed a candidate, which Huddleston and his attorney dispute.
“He's reiterated that position time and time again. He’s adamant that churches cannot serve as polling locations. He’s very upset, apparently, that this church is serving as a polling location,” said Hiram Sasser, Executive General Counsel for Plano-based First Liberty Institute.
Sasser says revoking the church's certificate of occupancy in retaliation for the church serving as a polling location violates state and federal law.
In a letter to the city on Monday, he warned that if the city doesn't back down, he will take the matter to court.
The Dallas County Elections Department tells our partners at the Dallas Morning News that building owners do not play a role in selecting polling places and that election judges ensure there is no electioneering.
