Press Release

    April 9, 2019

     ANN ARBOR, MI – Continuing its tradition of providing legal assistance to students who stand up for life on National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day (“NPLTD”) the Thomas More Law Center (“TMLC”), a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, announced it will defend without charge, students whose school prohibits them from wearing their pro-life t-shirts.

     National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day will take place this Friday, April 12.

     Hosted by the Culture of Life Studies Program and Life Defenders, the goal of NPLTD is to empower young people to “speak up and defend the preborn, the elderly, the disabled, and the most vulnerable among us” by wearing their favorite t-shirt with a pro-life message.

     Students are encouraged to post pictures on social media wearing their t-shirts and use the hashtag #NPLTD19 to create awareness of the pro-life movement.

     If your child or a student you know requires legal assistance from TMLC, please be sure to email Margaret at Life Defenders: admin@lightandshield.org or call (571) 398-9904. 

     TMLC proudly stands ready to support and defend students choosing to participate in National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day.

Thank you for your continued support of the Thomas More Law Center:

The Christian Answer To The ACLU

The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and moral values.  It supports a strong national defense and an independent and sovereign United States of America.  The Law Center accomplishes its mission through litigation, education, and related activities.  It does not charge for its services.  The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization.  You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at www.thomasmore.org.

  March 13, 2019

   ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center (“TMLC”), a national nonprofit public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, announced today that nationally prominent appellate lawyer John Bursch will represent the state of Tennessee and its General Assembly on March 19 before a 3-judge panel of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.  

   The Thomas More Law Center was retained by the Tennessee General Assembly in March 2017 to file a first-of-its-kind Tenth Amendment lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the federal refugee resettlement program. The federal government has violated state sovereignty by forcing Tennessee to continue paying for the program after Tennessee opted out and exercised its right not to participate. TMLC is appealing after a federal district court judge dismissed the case. The Law Center is representing Tennessee without charge.

   Mr. Bursch, a former Michigan state solicitor general and past chair of the American Bar Association’s Council of Appellate Lawyers, has an impressive client list ranging from Fortune 500 companies and foreign and domestic governments, to top public officials and industry associations in high-profile cases. His cases frequently involve pressing political and social issues, and five had at least $1 billion at stake.   

   He has argued 11 U.S. Supreme Court cases and obtained summary reversal on three more, compiling a Supreme Court merits record of 10-2-2.  He has also argued 30 cases in state supreme courts, and dozens more in federal and state appellate courts across the country. A recent study included John on its “veritable who’s who of Supreme Court litigators” list.

   Although Tennessee officially withdrew from participation in the federal refugee resettlement program in 2007, the federal government continues to commandeer state tax dollars to fund the federal program.

   Tennessee has a history of supporting the Tenth Amendment and state sovereignty.  In 2009, House Joint Resolution 108, which passed in the Senate 31-0 and in the House by 85-2, demanded that the federal government halt its practice of imposing mandates on the states for purposes not enumerated by the U.S. Constitution.

   Richard Thompson, TMLC President and Chief Counsel, commented: “John’s integrity, outstanding litigation skills, and impressive record on appeals prompted me to ask him to join our fight.  I can’t think of anyone more qualified to represent Tennessee and the constitutional principles involved in this case.”

The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and moral values.  It supports a strong national defense and an independent and sovereign United States of America. The Law Center accomplishes its mission through litigation, education, and related activities. It does not charge for its services. The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization. You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at www.thomasmore.org.

 

March 7, 2019

   ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center (“TMLC”) a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, announced a victory this week on behalf of its client, Lutheran Pastor Bruce Leonatti, who is also president of the Pittsburgh Chapter of ACT for America. Pastor Leonatti was sued by an Islamic organization, HIRA Educational Services of North America (“HIRA”) for exercising his First Amendment free speech rights. HIRA is an Islamic consulting firm that caters to Islamic schools and organizations.  

   In an opinion and order issued on March 4, 2019, Judge Marilyn J. Horan of the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Pennsylvania dismissed the case against Pastor Leonatti, who was one of several defendants sued by HIRA. Pastor Leonatti is pastor of the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. The Thomas More Law Center represented Pastor Leonatti without charge.

   Commenting on the successful outcome, Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, stated: “We applaud the steadfast courage and fortitude of 74-year-old Pastor Leonatti who stood his ground against the intimidating tactics of HIRA and its baseless lawsuit.”

   HIRA sought to purchase property owned by the State of Pennsylvania. During a public meeting prior to the sale, Pastor Leonatti expressed his opposition to the sale to HIRA over concerns that the property might be used as a refugee resettlement center. Although Pennsylvania began the process of selling the property to HIRA, the sale eventually fell through because of concerns related to tax payments and potential collusion in the bidding process. Even though Pastor Leonatti’s statements had nothing to do with why the sale fell through, HIRA nevertheless sued him for interfering with the sales contract because he opposed it at a public meeting and is a chapter president of ACT for America.  

   After an initial motion to dismiss was denied as “premature,” TMLC later filed a motion for sanctions against HIRA and its attorneys, claiming that the lawsuit against Pastor Leonatti had no legal merit. At the hearing on the motion for sanctions, the judge decided on her own to consider the motion for sanctions as a renewed motion to dismiss.  

   On Monday, the Court dismissed Pastor Leonatti from the lawsuit. In her opinion, Judge Horan said: “Not only do the facts pleaded by Plaintiff show that Defendant Leonatti’s conduct had no impact on DGS’s [the PA agency] decision to move forward with forming the land sale contract with Plaintiff, but Plaintiff does not plead any facts establishing a causal connection between Defendant Leonatti’s alleged conduct and the decision by the Defendant Township Supervisors to institute legal proceedings.”  

February 26, 2019

   ANN ARBOR, MI – On Wednesday, February 27, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on whether to reverse the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit decision which ordered the removal or disfigurement of a 40-foot tall cross erected in 1925 to memorialize the World War I service and death of forty-nine soldiers from Prince George County, Maryland.

   The “Peace Cross of Bladensburg” located at the entrance to the town of Bladensburg, Maryland sits on a rectangular base which includes the words “Valor,” “Endurance,” “Courage,” and “Devotion.” A bronze plaque lists the names of the forty-nine fallen sons of Bladensburg. Above the names is the inscription: “This Memorial Cross Dedicated To The Heroes of Prince George’s County Maryland Who Lost Their Lives In The Great War For The Liberty Of The World.”

   The Fourth Circuit ruled that the cross is the “preeminent symbol of Christianity,” and that while the cross may generally serve as a symbol of death and memorialization, it only holds that value because of its affiliation with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and thus violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

   The Thomas More Law Center (“TMLC”), a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, engaged in the heated culture war battle over the meaning of the Establishment Clause, by filing an amicus brief (friend of the court brief) to save the Cross. The stakes are high.   Crosses throughout the nation, including those in the Arlington National Cemetery, will be in jeopardy should the Supreme Court affirm the lower court decision.

   This is the second amicus brief filed by TMLC. The first brief, filed in July 2018, asked the Supreme Court to review the Fourth Circuit’s ruling against the cross. Once the Supreme Court agreed to review the ruling, this second brief, filed on December 19, 2018, asks the Supreme Court to reverse the Fourth Circuit’s decision.

   The federal lawsuit challenging the “peace cross” was brought in 2014 by three atheists who occasionally drove past the cross and claimed they were offended. TMLC’s brief authored by Erin Kuenzig addresses their claim by arguing,

“Allowing a historic war memorial to be destroyed to quell some momentary discomfort plaintiffs feel when they drive past the Bladensburg monument would do real and lasting harm to this country; it would send a message of disrespect to our fallen soldiers and their families, and it would deprive future generations of a treasured piece of history.”

   TMLC’s brief also claims that the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision shows a hostility toward religion, particularly Christianity, not intended by the Constitution.

   Moreover, TMLC’s brief importantly points out,

“We cannot change the stories of the dead to appease the all too easily offended living. Any harm respondents feel they incur due to seeing the shape of a cross when they happen to drive past the Bladensburg memorial, pales in comparison to the real and lasting harm that destroying such memorials will cause to this country as a whole, to veterans’ families, and to the memories of the men and women who are honored by them.”

   Clearly, use of the Latin Cross in 1925 reflected the custom in Europe during World War I where the cross became the principal grave marker in cemeteries where soldiers were buried as described in the opening lines “In Flanders Fields,” a famous poem of the time whose opening line begins “In Flanders fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row.”

   In this case, the purpose of the cross is to honor the dead using a historical symbol of death and sacrifice. The decision to destroy this memorial, simply because the plaintiffs claim to be offended by the memorial’s Latin cross, evidences an intolerance to Christianity that is wholly inconsistent with our nation’s history and with the purpose and meaning of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.

   Click here to read TMLC’s brief filed on December 19, 2018.

   Click here to read TMLC’s first brief.

   December 27, 2018

   ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center (“TMLC”), a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on December 19, 2018, filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court, in support of the forty-foot Bladensburg Peace Cross, erected nearly a century ago.  The Cross was erected by the American Legion and the grieving mothers of the forty-nine soldiers from Prince George County, Maryland, who were killed in World War I, in commemoration of their service to the Nation. 

   Nevertheless, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Cross must be removed or destroyed as a result of a federal lawsuit brought by three atheists who occasionally drove past the cross and claimed they were offended. Agreeing with the atheists, the Court held that the Cross violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Court found that the cross is the “preeminent symbol of Christianity,” and that while the cross may generally serve as a symbol of death and memorialization, it only holds that value because of its affiliation with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

   However, TMLC’s brief pointed out:

“Allowing a historic war memorial to be destroyed to quell some momentary discomfort plaintiffs feel when they drive past the Bladensburg monument would do real and lasting harm to this country; it would send a message of disrespect to our fallen soldiers and their families, and it would deprive future generations of a treasured piece of history.”

   In 1920, a mother of one of the men honored by the monument, wrote in a letter to a US senator, “…the chief reason I feel so deeply in the matter my son, Wm. F. Redman lost his life in France and because of that, I feel that our memorial cross is in a way his grave stone.”

   TMLC’s brief agreed:

“[T]he Bladensburg Memorial should be treated with a sense of reverence and respect that acknowledges its commemorative purpose.  Much like an actual gravestone, the Bladensburg Memorial provides a visible record of the heroic deaths of the men whose names are etched into it.  Preserving the memory of these men and their sacrifice was crucial to the generation that knew them.”

   The Bladensburg Peace Cross stands on land at a busy intersection in Maryland and sits on a rectangular base which includes the words “Valor,” “Endurance,” “Courage,” and “Devotion.”

   The Cross also contains a bronze plaque stating, “This Memorial Cross Dedicated to the Heroes of Prince George’s County, Maryland Who Lost Their Lives in the Great War for the Liberty of the World.” The plaque also includes the names of the forty-nine soldiers memorialized by the monument and a poignant quote from President Woodrow Wilson: “The right is more precious than the peace. We shall fight for the things we have always carried nearest our hearts. To such a task we dedicate our lives.”

   Clearly, the use of the Cross reflected the custom in Europe during World War I where the cross became the principal grave marker in cemeteries where soldiers were buried as described in the opening lines “In Flanders Fields,” a famous poem of the time whose opening line begins “In Flanders fields the poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row.”

   TMLC claims that the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision ordering the removal or destruction of the Bladensburg Cross simply because it is a religious symbol of Christianity, shows a hostility toward religion, particularly Christianity, not intended by the Constitution, and puts at risk hundreds of memorials with similar symbols including those at Arlington National Cemetery where crosses of comparable size commemorate America’s fallen soldiers.

   According to TMLC’s brief:

“We cannot change the stories of the dead to appease the all too easily offended living. Any harm respondents feel they incur due to seeing the shape of a cross when they happen to drive past the Bladensburg memorial, pales in comparison to the real and lasting harm that destroying such memorials will cause to this country as a whole, to veterans’ families, and to the memories of the men and women who are honored by them.”

   TMLC writes, that in this case, the primary purpose of the Latin cross is to honor the dead using a historical symbol of death and sacrifice. The decision to destroy this memorial, simply because the plaintiffs claim to be offended by the memorial’s Latin cross, evidences an intolerance to Christianity that is wholly inconsistent with our nation’s history and with the purpose and meaning of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.

   TMLC seeks to preserve the Bladensburg memorial to respect the decision of the bereaved parents, who nearly a century ago chose to honor their deceased children with the monument as it currently stands.

   Click here to read TMLC’s entire brief.

The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and moral values, including the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life.  It supports a strong national defense and an independent and sovereign United States of America.  The Law Center accomplishes its mission through litigation, education, and related activities.  It does not charge for its services.  The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization.  You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at www.thomasmore.org.

###

 

 

July 30, 2018

   ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center (“TMLC”), a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, last Friday, June 27, filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court, in a last-ditch effort to save the forty-foot Bladensburg Cross, erected over ninety years ago.  The Cross was erected by the American Legion and the grieving mothers of the forty-nine soldiers from Prince George County, Maryland, who were killed in World War I, in commemoration of the soldiers’ service to the Nation.  

   The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling suggested that the Cross must be destroyed, or some other arrangement made to avoid a violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

    The forty-foot Cross, which now stands on land at a busy intersection in Maryland, was erected in the 1920s.  The Cross sits on a rectangular base which includes the words “Valor,” “Endurance,” “Courage,” and “Devotion.”  The Cross also contains a bronze plaque stating, “This Memorial Cross Dedicated to the Heroes of Prince George’s County, Maryland Who Lost Their Lives in the Great War for the Liberty of the World.” The plaque includes the names of the forty-nine soldiers memorialized by the monument and a poignant quote from President Woodrow Wilson: “The right is more precious than peace. We shall fight for the things we have always carried nearest our hearts. To such a task we dedicate our lives.”

   The use of the Cross reflected the custom in Europe during World War I where the cross became the principal grave marker in cemeteries where soldiers were buried, as described in the opening lines “In Flanders Fields,” a famous poem of the time whose opening lines begin “In Flanders fields the poppies blow, Between the crosses, row on row.”

   The Bladensburg Cross now stands in Veterans Memorial Park and is surrounded by numerous other monuments erected over the years commemorating those who died in our Nation’s conflicts.

   Nevertheless, the Fourth Circuit based its decision that the Bladensburg Cross was in violation of the Establishment Clause on its finding that the cross is the “preeminent symbol of Christianity,” and that while a cross may generally serve as a symbol of death and memorialization, it only holds that value because of its affiliation with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

   TMLC claims that the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision ordering the removal or destruction of the Bladensburg Cross simply because it is a religious symbol of Christianity, shows a hostility toward religion, particularly Christianity, not intended by the Constitution, and puts at risk hundreds of memorials with similar symbols including those at Arlington Cemetery where crosses of comparable size commemorate America’s fallen soldiers.

   According to TMLC’s brief:

   “We cannot change the stories of the dead to appease the all too easily offended living. Any harm respondents feel they incur due to seeing the shape of a cross when they happen to drive past the Bladensburg memorial, pales in comparison to the real and lasting harm that destroying such memorials will cause to this country as a whole, to veterans’ families, and to the memories of the men and women who are honored by them.”

   TMLC writes, that in this case, the primary purpose of the Latin cross is to honor the dead using a historical symbol of death and sacrifice. The decision to destroy this memorial, simply because the plaintiffs claim to be offended by the memorial’s use of the Latin cross, evidences an intolerance to Christianity that is wholly inconsistent with our nation’s history and with the purpose and meaning of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.

   TMLC stands with The American Legion and its fight to preserve the Bladensburg memorial to respect the decision of the bereaved parents, who nearly a century ago chose to honor their deceased children with the monument as it currently stands.

   Click here to read TMLC’s entire brief.

Thank you for your continued support of the Thomas More Law Center. Your donations help us to be 
Battle Ready to Defend America!

The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and moral values, including the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life.  It supports a strong national defense and an independent and sovereign United States of America.  The Law Center accomplishes its mission through litigation, education, and related activities.  It does not charge for its services.  The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization.  You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at www.thomasmore.org.