News Release
For Immediate Release: 9.17.25
Contact: Natalie Konstans, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453
Tennessee City Denies Request to Host Charlie Kirk Prayer Vigil on Public Property
City of Morristown refuses to permit a candlelight vigil honoring Charlie Kirk on the community’s green space.
Morristown, TN—Today, First Liberty Institute sent a demand letter to the City of Morristown, Tennessee on behalf of nearby resident, Brad Tumey, due to a local ordinance that prohibits him from hosting a candlelight vigil on the downtown green space to honor Charlie Kirk. The city ordinance states that “[N]o one shall engage in…political or religious activities on the premises.”
You can read the demand letter here.
“After last week’s tragic loss, many Americans are shaken and grieving,” said First Liberty Senior Counsel Nate Kellum. “Mr. Tumey simply wants to bring people together to inspire encouragement and hope in his town. It is outrageous that Morristown singles out religious as well as political speech for censorship. These are the very forms of expression the First Amendment is designed to protect. Morristown’s ordinance is blatantly unconstitutional.”
According to the event permit application and Morristown Ordinance (section 9-204(6)), acceptable events on the green space include activities like family reunions, car shows, dances, and concerts, as long as they are not political or religious in nature.
In the demand letter, attorneys state, “The City welcomes the public to reserve the downtown green for both public and private events, such as car shows, concerts, corporate meetings, or even family gatherings. Yet, any religious activity is outright banned. Though a local business could gather with its employees to engage in team-building exercises, a local church leadership team could not. The question at the core of the City’s decision to approve or deny a permit is whether religion is involved.”
###
About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact Natalie Konstans at media@firstliberty.org.
 |
|
|
