The Thomas More Society declared victory after a Minnesota district court dismissed harassment charges filed by a Twin Cities lawyer against the Christian Action League of Minnesota. The attorney filed a lawsuit because she took exception to the group’s campaign to inform City Pages advertisers that the publication was also promoting “strip clubs, porn stores, and phone sex ads.”

Thomas More Society Special Counsel Erick Kaardal explained how the Christian Action League was slapped with a temporary harassment restraining order. A local lawyer complained about postcards and emails the group sent to her because she advertises in City Pages. The correspondence informed advertisers that the metro Minneapolis-St. Paul alternative newspaper also promoted the adult sex trade and invited advertisers to reconsider supporting a media outlet that did so.

The restraining order against the Christian Action League was granted without a hearing in front of a judge and went into effect in late March 2019 without any opportunity for the group to contest it. The League wasn’t able to challenge the accusations in court until the July 11 hearing, which resulted in the dismissal.

Ann Redding, President of the Christian Action League of Minnesota, stated that the group has indefinitely suspended its campaign against City Pages because they don’t want to be taken to court again, something which could easily happen because of the problem with the current Minnesota law.

“I’m happy with the fact that it is dismissed,” declared Redding, “but this is just the first step, and there’s work to be done so this type of situation doesn’t happen again.”

The Thomas More Society, having won victory on behalf of the League, will now take the next step and file a lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the Minnesota statute that allowed a restraining order to be filed on the basis of “unwanted words.”

The law in question defines harassment, in part, as: “unwanted acts, words, or gestures that have a substantial adverse effect or are intended to have a substantial adverse effect on the safety, security, or privacy of another, regardless of the relationship between the actor and the intended target.”

“The problem with that statute is it basically allows the government to issue a restraining order on unwanted words,” Kaardal said. “And this is a severe restriction on First Amendment activity because it bans all unwanted political speech.”

The Christian Action League of Minnesota exists to educate citizens regarding the destructive nature of sexual exploitation and pornography addiction and to equip communities with resources to combat its devastating effects on children and families.

Read the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, issued July 11, 2019, by Referee Melissa J. Houghtaling in the State of Minnesota District Court – County of Hennepin, Fourth Judicial District, in R. Leigh Frost v. Christian Action League of Minnesota, here.