"Christian" Skating Time

[Corcos, Christine]

The New York Division of Human Rights dropped its opposition late last
month. See
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2006/07/01/news-pbbackoff-07-01.html
and a post at something called Verum Serum
http://www.verumserum.com/?p=392  reproducing the letter indicating the
Division is dropping the action. This letter seems to indicate the basis
for the original complaint.


Howard Friedman blogged this story at Religion Clause.
http://religionclause.blogspot.com/2006/06/new-york-challenges-christian
-skate.html but I did not see a link to the original letter there or
anywhere. Here's what Howard gathers from the letter:

"The agency wrote to the Skate Time 209 rink, and to the Ulster County
Press in which the rink's Christian Skate Time was advertised, saying
that the event during which contemporary Christian music is played for
skaters "apparently denies or at a minimum, discourages non-Christian
patronage" and "constitutes prima facie violation" of the Human Rights
Law."

I did see several phrases quoted from the letter in many news stories.

Here is a link to Skate Time 209's website. Note that the skate period
in question is now called "Spiritual Skate". Lots of disclaimers
everywhere (everyone's welcome, etc.) http://www.skatetime209.com/


Christine Corcos
Associate Professor of Law
Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University
Associate Professor, Women's and Gender Studies Program
LSU A&M
W325 Law Building
1 East Campus Drive
Baton Rouge LA 70803
tel: 225/578-8327
fax: 225/578-3677
email: ccorcos at lsu.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu
[mailto:religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu] On Behalf Of Volokh, Eugene
Sent: Monday, July 03, 2006 12:52 PM
To: Law & Religion issues for Law Academics
Subject: RE: "Christian" Skating Time

	By the way, is there a copy of the letter from the New York
agency somewhere around?  I'd like to see exactly what they're alleging
is the violation.  Thanks,

	Eugene

> -----Original Message-----
> From: religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu 
> [mailto:religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu] On Behalf Of 
> Scarberry, Mark
> Sent: Monday, July 03, 2006 10:45 AM
> To: Law & Religion issues for Law Academics
> Subject: RE: "Christian" Skating Time
> 
> 
> The music is a substantial part of the skating experience. No 
> one would doubt that a Christian music concert could be held 
> (and advertised). Does the combination of a physical activity 
> (skating) with the playing of music deprive the business 
> owner of the free speech rights that a concert promoter would have? 
> 
> Suppose the owner of the rink decided to have a "global 
> warming" evening featuring the audio from Vice President 
> Gore's movie. Would that be permitted, even though a lot of 
> people would choose not to come to the rink in order to avoid 
> what they would perceive as propaganda? If it would be 
> permitted, then doesn't the NY law discriminate against 
> religious speech?
> 
> And if, as I think someone suggested, a "spiritual" evening 
> would be permitted, so long as it was inclusive by not 
> focusing on any particular religious tradition, then isn't 
> this a matter of viewpoint discrimination?
> 
> Mark S. Scarberry
> Pepperdine University School of Law 
> _______________________________________________
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