Supreme Court rules 9-0 against Boston after city prevented Christian flag from flying
Hal Shurtleff, man who filed a lawsuit against the city of Boston after its leaders refused to allow a Christian flag to fly in conjunction with several other groups' flags, weighs in on the Supreme Court's ruling of the case.
The Satanic Temple is requesting to fly a flag over Boston’s City Hall following the recent Supreme Court ruling that the city violated the free speech rights of a conservative group that previously sought to fly a Christian flag over the government building.
"The Satanic Temple replies to the Supreme Court ruling that found Boston violated First Amendment rights by refusing to fly Christian flag at City Hall Plaza," the Satanic Temple tweeted Tuesday, accompanied by a screenshot of a request to raise a flag to celebrate "Satanic Appreciation Week" from July 23-29.
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled Monday that Boston violated the free speech rights of Harold Shurtleff and his group Camp Constitution when it denied their request to fly the Christian flag to mark Constitution Day in 2017.
SCOTUS UNANIMOUSLY RULES BOSTON VIOLATED GROUP'S RIGHTS BY REFUSING TO FLY CHRISTIAN FLAG
Flags fly above Boston City Hall on Nov. 11, 2021. (Photo by Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) (Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
The city had approved 284 consecutive applications to fly flags before rejecting Shurtleff’s request.
"Under our precedents, and in view of our government-speech holding here, that refusal discriminated based on religious viewpoint and violated the Free Speech Clause," Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in the court's opinion.
New England Patriots fans gather at city hall plaza for today's rally during Super Bowl LI victory parade in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., February 7, 2017. REUTERS/Barry Chin/Pool (REUTERS)
SUPREME COURT JUSTICES QUESTION BOSTON'S DECISION NOT TO ALLOW CHRISTIAN FLAG OUTSIDE CITY HALL
The Satanic Temple’s application was filed online and did not provide details on the flag or what the week-long celebration entails. The group's main headquarters is based in Salem, Massachusetts.
The Baphomet statue is seen in the conversion room at the Satanic Temple where a "Hell House" is being held in Salem, Massachusett on October 8, 2019. - The Hell House was a parody on a Christian Conversion centre meant to scare atheist and other Satanic Church members. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images) (GETTY)
Boston's flag-raising application program was suspended last year, a spokesperson for the city told Fox News Digital Wednesday when approached for comment on the Satanic Temple's request.
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The spokesperson added that the mayor's office is "carefully reviewing the Court's decision and its recognition of city governments' authority to operate similar programs."
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
