Louisville to Pay $800K After Christian Photographer Wins Free Speech Case

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Louisville, Kentucky has agreed to pay $800,000 in attorney’s fees to Christian photographer Chelsey Nelson following her legal victory over the city’s public accommodations law, which had required her to photograph same-sex weddings if she offered services for traditional marriages.

The settlement, reached Tuesday, comes more than three years after a federal court ruled that the First Amendment protects Nelson from being compelled to create content that conflicts with her religious beliefs. The court also barred the city from enforcing policies that would either force her to promote messages she disagrees with or prevent her from expressing her views.

Nelson had challenged the ordinance, arguing it not only compelled her artistic expression but also censored her from explaining her convictions to potential clients. The court ultimately granted summary judgment in her favor six months ago, solidifying her legal victory.

The case preceded the U.S. Supreme Court’s 303 Creative decision, which affirmed that creative professionals cannot be forced by the government to participate in speech that violates their conscience.

“The government cannot force Americans to say things they don’t believe,” said Bryan Neihart, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, who represented Nelson. He added that city officials had spent years attempting to compel Nelson to promote views on marriage that conflicted with her faith.

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