A pro-family leader is applauding a liberal appellate court for upholding a California city's right to lease properties to the Boy Scouts.
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the city of San Diego may continue to lease public properties to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), upholding the city's property leases to the organization that requires it to manage those properties and make costly renovations.
Judge William C. Canby, Jr. wrote that there is no evidence that the city's purpose to lease properties to the Boy Scouts was to "advance religion." He did, however, find plenty of evidence to prove that the city wanted to provide "facilities and services for youth activities."
Dr. Gary Cass of DefendChristians.org, says this decision is telling.
"This ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is arguably the most liberal circuit court in the United States, demonstrates that this whole witch hunt against the Boy Scouts was simply a politically-driven agenda," he decides. "I'm very gratified that the courts have upheld that the Boy Scouts have the right to use public facilities."
The Associated Press reports that the ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by a lesbian couple and an agnostic couple who claim that leases to groups that "discriminate" violate the constitutions of the state and the nation.
The BSA is "one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations," and it does not permit homosexuals to serve as Scout leaders.