Maine Church Sues University System Over Alleged Discrimination in Property Sale

A church in Maine has filed a lawsuit against the University of Maine System (UMS), alleging it was denied the opportunity to purchase a property because of its religious stance on same-sex marriage.

Calvary Chapel Belfast submitted the complaint on November 19 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, Bangor Division, naming UMS and several staff members as defendants.

According to the filing, the church had proposed purchasing the vacant Hutchinson Center to accommodate its expanding congregation but claims its bid was rejected because of its religious beliefs.

According to the complaint, while UMS initially permitted Calvary Chapel to negotiate for the purchase of the center in August, the university later withdrew the offer following community objections to the church’s theologically conservative views on sexual ethics and pressure from other prospective buyers.

The lawsuit claims that “[t]hrough their rescission of the bid award to Plaintiff, Defendants acted to exclude Plaintiff from a government program solely due to its religious identity and the expression of its Bible-centered beliefs and viewpoint, including its beliefs on marriage and sexuality.”

“Defendants’ discriminatory action deprived Plaintiff of its right to freely participate in a government program while expressing its beliefs without punishment.”

The University of Maine announced earlier in November that the Hutchinson Center property has been awarded to Waldo Community Action Partners (WCAP), a nonprofit organization that bid $3.06 million—significantly above the property’s estimated value of $2.52 million.

“WCAP demonstrated proof of funds, and their top-scoring proposal included no contingencies that might delay a timely transition of the property,” the university stated, adding that the sale is expected to be finalized by early 2025.

The university also noted: “As is standard with System solicitations, the university has the right to terminate negotiations at any point if they are not proceeding in a manner that aligns with its best interests as a public institution.”

The church’s lawsuit alleges that after its initial award was revoked, it re-entered the request for proposal process but was ultimately rejected in favor of WCAP. The suit characterizes WCAP as a “secular bidder that had maliciously criticized the Church’s religious identity and beliefs.”

The lawsuit further claims that a state senator serving on WCAP’s board “openly stoked flames of religious hostility towards the Church in the community.”

Daniel Schmid, the attorney representing Calvary Chapel, argued that the University of Maine System violated anti-discrimination protections under the First and 14th Amendments.

“Both [amendments] require injunctive relief, Schmid said, explaining that “the university should put Calvary Chapel back to the place it was under the fair process instead of the rigged second bidding process.”

Schmid further explained that Calvary Chapel believes UMS infringed on its First Amendment rights when it withdrew the opportunity to negotiate the purchase after the church initially prevailed in the first round of bidding.

Photo credits: The Gay Pride Flag Flies over the Mall by UMaine Student Life. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0