The suit, filed Monday, accuses the city and its officials of launching a harassment campaign against Dad’s Place, a church in Bryan, for keeping its doors open 24/7 for the homeless.
An Ohio pastor who was charged with zoning violations for housing people experiencing homelessness has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Bryan and its officials.
Earlier this year, Pastor Chris Avell decided to keep the doors of his church, Dad’s Place, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to reach out to the city’s most “vulnerable.” Bryan is a small city of about 8,600 people, 65 miles west of Toledo.
In December, Avell was hit with 18 zoning violations by the city, which claimed he had violated a city ordinance that says residents can’t stay on the first floor of that property. Further, the local fire chief found a slew of fire code violations at the church.
Avell pleaded not guilty to the charges at his Jan. 11 arraignment, according to online court records.
Now he’s suing the city, claiming discrimination on the basis of religion and claiming city officials have launched a harassment campaign against the church.
Where are homeless people actually supposed to go?
Away
They want them visible to act as a warning to the working class; work and die or starve and die. The only thing is they want them visible to others but they don’t want to see it themselves
No, Mr. Loom. I expect them to die.
they are supposed to scare the middle class into not risking their livelihoods.
This is sadly correct.
Around here, apparently, miles outside of town. All the bridges have ‘no trespassing’ signs by them (in English and Spanish, and this is Indiana). I live outside of town and I regularly see people walking down the highway to get to their crappy minimum wage jobs. It probably takes them over an hour to walk, and it was -15 here last week.
So apparently where they’re supposed to go is a tent out in the woods.
Oddly enough, there’s an established homeless shelter right next door to this church. Based on their sign and name, they’re also faith based. Were they full? Did they turn some people away for reasons of their own?
I’m just very curious to hear more.