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Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, et al. v. Kurt Browning

Last Update: July 20, 2011

What's at Stake

The ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û and the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û of Florida joined other civil liberties, religious and education organizations in filing a lawsuit challenging the ballot language of a proposed Florida amendment that would eliminate Florida’s ban on taxpayer funding of religious organizations and create a virtual requirement that public funds be used to support religious institutions – institutions that hold beliefs to which many Floridians don't subscribe.

The lawsuit is being filed on behalf of:
• Lee Swift, president of the Florida School Boards Association;
• Susan Summers-Persis, president of the Florida Association of School Administrators;
• Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, Rabbi, Temple Shalom;
• Rev. Kent Siladi, conference minister for the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ;
• Rev. Harry Parrott of Clay County, retired Baptist minister;
• Rev. Harold Brockus of St. Petersburg, retired pastor;
• Rabbi Jack Romberg, Temple Israel; and
• Rev. Bobby Musengwa, pastor, Maximo Presbyterian Church

Other organizations joining the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û in filing the lawsuit are the Florida Education Association, the National Education Association, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State; the Anti-Defamation League and the law firms Meyer, Brooks, Demma and Blohm and Bredhoff and Kaiser, P.L.L.C.

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