An Appeals Court order to remove religious materials from a Post Office operating in a church-run building was left in place by the Supreme Court, which has declined the petition for a hearing. The US Postal Service contracts with the Full Gospel Interdenominational Church to use one of its buildings to house the Manchester, CT Post Office. Complaints arose over the presence of religious symbols and literature around the counter where customers use the federal service. The Hartford Courant has more on the Court's decision.
In 2003, Bertram Cooper, a postal patron and Manchester resident who is Jewish, sued the postal service, saying that the display of religious materials offended him and violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government from giving preference to one religion over another…."We are pleased that the Supreme Court left intact previous rulings that held that the function of religious outreach is out of place at a postal counter," said Andrew Schneider, executive director of the ACLU of Connecticut. "Religious liberty is best protected when the government or those acting as governmental agents remain neutral on matters of faith."
