Bay View Association Photo
Bay View Association
The Bay View Association near Petosky, Mich., is being sued again by a group claiming its bylaws discriminate against non-Christians, despite having changed it bylaws last year in any effort to accommodate the group's concerns.
According to an article by William T. Perkins of the Petosky News-Review:
"Last year, members of the private resort community — located just east of Petoskey and founded in 1875 as a Methodist encampment — voted to eliminate a rule that requires cottage owners to be of 'Christian persuasion.' A 2017 lawsuit contended that the religious requirement was discriminatory and unconstitutional. At the time of the bylaw change last September, lawyers for Bay View argued the bylaw change resolved any grounds for complaint.
"Now, the plaintiffs — who are collectively known as the Bay View Chautauqua Inclusiveness Group — are pushing their complaints one step further by challenging the new bylaw language. The new lawsuit was filed last week in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan and takes issue with a clause in the bylaws requiring that members 'respect the principles of the United Methodist Church,' and support 'Christian values and traditions.' It says those requirements still do not pass legal muster because they favor Christian beliefs."
The lawsuit further claims that because the Bay View Association exercises governmental-type powers, it must abide by the U. S. Constitution's guarantees against religious discrimination.