Sometime in 2017, residents of East Lansing tried to ban Catholic farmer Stephen Tennes from a farmer’s market. They also legally sued him in court because he refused to host same-sex marriages. However, this move by the city has backfired.
In a settlement released on Friday, December 15, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Mahoney ruled in favor of Tennes, to the surprise of many. The devout Christian farmer owns Country Mill Farms in Charlotte, Michigan, just outside East Lansing, but has had it rough for the six years his case was pending.
Because of this, the ruling might be the best thing to happen to him. According to court documents, he could collect up to $42,000 in damages. He could also get $783,000 in legal fees for the six-year-long battle he went through.
Furthermore, the order states that East Lansing must not try to force him to officiate such weddings in the future. According to the city’s residents, his refusal to host same-sex weddings is discriminatory. On the other hand, Tennes believes it is against his faith to be the pastor at such weddings.
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Therefore, banning him from the farmers’ market violated his rights and the First Amendment. In an interview with Fox News, Tennes explained that these past years have been rough on him. He also mentioned that his faith made it tough for him to be excluded from the farmers market.
He said, “When we were faced with the choice of providing for our family like we always had or walking away from our religious beliefs. And as parents and as veterans, that was a very tough decision to make.”
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“But we’re glad that we were able to go forward with this, and the court has come out with a strong ruling that helps not just our family but really people of all backgrounds and beliefs to realize that the government can’t choose to punish some people just because they don’t like their beliefs,” he said.
In August, Judge Maloney only ruled in favor of Tennes, stating that the city was wrong to exclude him. However, in December, he issued an order in damages to the farmer. The Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Kate Anderson said in a news release that this was done to ensure he got complete justice.
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“Steve and his family-run farm happily serve all customers as a valued vendor at East Lansing’s farmer’s market. The court was right to agree that the First Amendment protects Steve, like every other small business owner, to operate his business according to his faith and convictions,” she said.
Furthermore, this stern ruling will prevent future cases like this. According to the law of the land, everyone is free to have an opinion and to refuse to participate in anything that doesn’t align with their religious beliefs.
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