Free Speech For Christian Solicitors

A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of two Christians who were told to leave a festival in 2009 because of their religious message.

A 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals three-judge panel, in a unanimous decision, reversed a federal judge’s ruling and said that a policy against solicitation at the annual Sweet Corn Festival in Ohio was too broad, and unconstitutional.

Plaintiffs Tracy Bays and Kerrigan Skelly were at the festival grounds to convey their religious beliefs to festivalgoers. Bays began walking through the park with a sandwich board sign with messages on it like, “Are you born again of the Holy Spirit,” according to Dayton Daily News.

Their lawsuit said a festival worker asked Bays to remove his sign or leave. Later, Fairborn Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Pete Bales told Bays he could not distribute literature or display a sign, the paper said. Police warned that they needed a permit and could be subject to criminal trespassing charges.

The festival policy banned solicitation from individuals not working in a booth. The panel ruled it was too extensive and violated the First Amendment, according to the Daily News.

The case has reportedly been sent back to U.S. District Judge Thomas Rose, who made the earlier decision, to decide the merits of the festival’s policy.