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A new lawsuit accuses Broward County Public Schools of religious discrimination, sparking a debate over free speech and equal treatment in public spaces.

Political activist Chaz Stevens, nationally recognized for his satirical advocacy of the separation of church and state, has filed a lawsuit against Broward County Public Schools. He seeks $200,000 in damages.

The lawsuit, filed on September 17, 2024, stems from Stevens’ efforts to display a banner for his “Church of Satanology” at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and other public schools in the district, which were denied by school officials.

Stevens, who states he is an ordained minister of the Church of Satanology and Perpetual Soirée, is challenging what he sees as unequal treatment of religious organizations within the public school system.

“The exclusion of my banner while allowing Christian banners is a blatant violation of my First Amendment rights,” Stevens stated. “If public schools are going to open their doors to religious messages, they must allow all religious viewpoints—whether they agree with them or not.”

According to him, established case law says putting up one religious banner creates a ‘limited public forum’ where all are welcomed.

According to the complaint, Stevens contacted Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Principal Michelle Kefford in October 2023, requesting that a banner promoting his church be displayed alongside other religious advertisements affixed to the school’s fence.

This request followed the appearance of banners from Calvary Chapel, a Christian Church, on school property.

When Stevens’ request was ignored, he filed a lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. He alleges that the school board’s refusal to allow his religious banner constitutes viewpoint discrimination, violating his First Amendment rights to free speech and free exercise of religion.

He further claims that the district’s selective enforcement of its advertising policy, allowing banners from Christian groups while denying him, breaches the Florida Religious Freedom Restoration Act (FRFRA) and Florida Statute § 871.04, which prohibits religious discrimination in public advertising.

In the lawsuit, Stevens, 60, details multiple attempts to secure advertising space at other Broward County Public Schools, including Westglades Middle School, Riverglades Elementary School, Coral Springs High School, Pembroke Pines Charter High School, and Cooper City High School.

He claims his requests were either ignored or summarily denied, while religious advertisements from Christian organizations remained prominently displayed on school grounds.

Political Activist Chaz Stevens Files 200K Lawsuit Against Broward Schools Over Religious Discrimination

Religious advertisement at Coral Springs High School. {courtesy}

According to Stevens’ legal filings, in December 2023, Broward School District’s Director of Mass Media and Community Relations, Keyla Concepción, informed him that the Calvary Chapel banner had been removed from Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

However, religious banners continued to be displayed at other district schools, including Westglades Middle School and Coral Springs High School. This led Stevens to argue that the district’s enforcement of advertising policies is inconsistent and biased against his religious views.

a church advertisement at Marjory Stoneman Douglas was recently removed after pressure from Stevens. {courtesy}

The lawsuit also references Stevens’ previous encounters with public school systems regarding religious advertising.

In 2015, after requesting to display a banner for his Church of Satanology at Boca Raton High School, the Palm Beach County School District banned all religious banners from its campuses.

Stevens contends that Broward County’s actions represent a similar pattern of religious discrimination and viewpoint censorship, which restricts his ability to exercise his religious freedom and spread his beliefs through public advertising.

He is seeking injunctive relief, which would require the school board to allow him to display his religious banners at public schools, and compensatory damages for the emotional, reputational, and financial harm he claims to have suffered due to the district’s actions.

Stevens’ lawsuit cites the 2022 Supreme Court case Shurtleff v. City of Boston, which affirmed that religious viewpoints cannot be excluded from public forums once they are opened for such speech. Stevens argues that by allowing other religious organizations to advertise in Broward schools while rejecting his requests, the district engaged in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.

If Stevens wins the $200,000 lawsuit, he said that after legal expenses, he plans to donate the money to Broward County Public Schools, paying off any student lunch debt.

A longtime First Amendment activist, Stevens successfully ended religious invocations at Coral Springs city commission meetings, Dania Beach, North Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach, and Delray Beach. He has started a crowdsourcing campaign to help defer costs.

“My game plan here is to teach them a lesson. Don’t fuck with my constitutional rights, and also, don’t fuck with Satan.”

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Sharon Aron Baron

Editor of Talk Media and writer for Coral Springs Talk. CST was created in 2012 to provide News, Views, and Entertainment for the residents of Coral Springs and the rest of South Florida.