NewJersey.com - Point Pleasant Beach Blocked Boardwalk Religious Demonstration, Lawsuit Claims
By Seth Augenstein, NJ.com
A Ewing man is suing Point Pleasant Beach, saying the town made him jump through extra hoops to hold signs and speak about his Christian beliefs during peak summer times on the borough’s boardwalk.
Joseph Paolella asked the borough for permission to exercise his Christian belief, hold a sign at the side of the boardwalk, speak about God and hand out religious literature to those who expressed interest, according to his lawsuit.
However, the borough asked him to fill out forms including a hold harmless agreement, a religious activities application, a memorandum of understanding, and a proof of insurance document, which effectively violated his First Amendment rights, according to the lawsuit. . . .
The suit was filed on Paolella’s behalf by the American Center for Law and Justice, a Virginia-based legal center founded in 1990 by evangelist Pat Robertson.
Edward White, one of the attorneys for the ACLJ on the case, said Paolella has not previously had to sue at any of the various places where he's demonstrated with his message based on the Gospels. . . .