Senior Living Center Backs Down – Agrees To Allow Residents’ Bible Study and Prayer Meeting To Take Place After ACLJ’s Involvement

Once again, a senior housing complex in Texas attempted to prohibit a resident-run religious gathering from taking place in the complex’s community room. Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have had to respond to similar situations. Within the last few months, the ACLJ has stepped in to address attempts to eliminate Bible studies in both Texas and Missouri. As soon as the ACLJ was made aware of this conduct, we sent the complex a demand letter calling for the facility to cease its ongoing violation of federal law—prompting a response in which our client was assured he could continue using the community room for his weekly gathering.

Our client, a resident at the complex, began a weekly gathering over two years ago after recognizing a number of residents could not drive to nearby churches. During this gathering, a Christian message would be delivered to residents. Following the message, our client would end the meeting by taking prayer requests and praying with fellow attendees. Unfortunately, after an anonymous complaint was given to the complex’s management, our client’s use of the community room was prohibited due to his Christian message and prayer. When our client approached management, it responded in writing and claimed fair housing laws prevented the complex from hosting religion-based activities. Our client then resorted to hosting the gathering in his apartment.

We’ve seen an alarming number of these false claims by senior living centers across the country that, somehow, the fact that they accept federal funds means that they must prevent residents from hosting Bible studies. Quite the opposite: They are actually prohibited from discriminating against this kind of religious use when other use is permitted.

In our letter, we made it clear that residents of private and public housing markets do not shed their religious freedom when moving into apartment complexes. The Fair Housing Act protects this religious freedom and makes it unlawful “[to] discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection therewith, because of . . . religion . . . .” 42 U.S.C. § 3604(b). The Department of Justice’s own guidance reinforces this:

No one may be discriminated against in the sale, rental or enjoyment of housing because of their religious beliefs. This includes equal access to all the benefits of housing: someone could not, for example, be excluded from reserving a common room for a prayer meeting when the room may be reserved for various comparable secular uses.

As we made clear in our letter, if a senior living center allows nonreligious activities in its community room for residents, then it can’t deny access for religious gatherings. Moreover, if a complex allows nonreligious groups to reserve a community room, it must allow religious groups to reserve the room as well. Our clients had every right to use the community room for their weekly gatherings, and the complex realized this after receiving our demand letter.

The complex responded and is now permitting our client to use the community room again. The complex has assured our client that the group can continue using the room for religious purposes and can advertise the gathering throughout the complex like other groups that reserve the community room. Our client is already planning to use the community room at the beginning of the year.

We will continue fighting to protect the religious rights of all Americans, especially senior citizens. If you are experiencing a similar situation, please contact us at ACLJ.org/HELP.