University of Maine System refused to sell property to church over beliefs: lawsuit
A church is suing the University of Maine System for allegedly refusing to sell a property to the congregation because of its religious objections to same-sex marriage.
Calvary Chapel Belfast filed the complaint against UMS and some of its staff members in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, Bangor Division, Tuesday.
The church submitted a proposal to UMS to purchase a vacant property known as the Hutchinson Center to accommodate its growing congregation, the filing states.
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Although UMS initially allowed Calvary Chapel to negotiate the purchase of the center in August, complaints from community members over the theologically conservative views on sexual ethics and pressure from other bidders for the property led UMS to rescind their offer, the complaint reads.
“Through their rescission of the bid award to Plaintiff, Defendants acted to exclude Plaintiff from a government program solely due to its religious identity and the expression of its Bible-centered beliefs and viewpoint, including its beliefs on marriage and sexuality,” claims the lawsuit.
“Defendants’ discriminatory action deprived Plaintiff of its right to freely participate in a government program while expressing its beliefs without punishment.”
The University of Maine announced last week that the center property is awarded to a nonprofit called Waldo Community Action Partners, which offered $3.06 million for the property, well above the estimated value of $2.52 million.
“WCAP demonstrated proof of funds and their top-scoring proposal did not have any contingencies that could delay a timely transition of the property, which the university anticipates could be completed by early 2025,” said the university in their announcement.
“As is standard with System solicitations, the university has the right to terminate negotiations at any point if they are not proceeding in a manner that is in its best interest as a public institution.”
The church's lawsuit claims that after its award was rescinded, it again participated in the request for proposal process but was denied in favor of WCAP. The lawsuit described the WCAP as a "secular bidder that had maliciously criticized the Church’s religious identity and beliefs and on whose Board sits a State Senator who openly stoked flames of religious hostility towards the Church in the community."
"UMS’s actions, culminating in the award of RFP 2025-031 to WCAP, represent a continuation of its pattern of discriminatory treatment toward the Church and a conspiracy against its constitutional rights," the complaint states.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver, whose Christian conservative legal group is representing Calvary Chapel, said in a statement on Tuesday that UMS “violated the First Amendment by discrimination against a church because of its Christian beliefs.”
“Such discrimination is unlawful,” stated Staver. “It is a sad day when government officials violate the Constitutional rights of its citizens. This is a costly mistake for the University of Maine System.”
In an emailed statement to The Christian Post, a UMS spokesperson denied any wrongdoing.
“The University of Maine System is still reviewing the complaint that was filed on Tuesday, Nov. 19 but strongly disagrees with any allegations of discrimination,” stated UMS.
“As we have previously stated, every organization had the same opportunity to submit a proposal to purchase the Hutchinson Center, and every proposal received was scored by the same objective standards.”
The UMS added that “those with lower-scoring offers may formally protest the award decision in writing through this Friday” and that “the System received a formal protest from Calvary Chapel Belfast.”
“Consistent with our long-standing practice, the award is stayed until this protest is resolved,” they added.
