Dear friend,

The legal case initiated by KFA in early 2006, involving $11+ million in state funds being appropriated to a private, religion-based institution, University of the Cumberlands, continues, has attracted national attention, and will ultimately be decided by the Kentucky Supreme Court! 

The legal team for the University of the Cumberlands includes the following national organizations

Alliance Defense Fund
  • Headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ with a $16+ million annual budget
  • Founded and supported by James Dobson of Focus on the Family ($160+ million annual budget) and the late D James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries ($60+ million annual budget)
  • Glen Lavy of ADF traveled in Frankfort in 2006 to testify against fair healthcare benefits for employees of our public universities

Center for Law and Religious Freedom

  • Headquartered in Springfield, VA with a $2.8 million annual budget

For a little case history, the University of the Cumberlands expelled honor student Jason Johnson in April of 2006, simply because he is gay. Shortly after Jason's story broke, our allies in the legislature alerted us to the multi-million dollar recurring appropriation, tucked quietly into the 2006 state budget.

In March of this year, Ret. Franklin Circuit Judge Crittenden ruled in our favor, stating the allocation of state funds violated several sections of the Kentucky Constitution.

Instead of following the typical appeals process, the University of the Cumberlands made the unusual request to appeal directly to the Supreme Court. Last Thursday, Dec. 18, the Kentucky Supreme Court granted the motion for transfer.  

David Tachau, Louisville attorney of Tachau Meek PLC, continues to represent KFA in this case. David and his team are brilliant and have been more than generous, taking the case pro-bono.

The timeline going forward could place oral arguments, if allowed by the Court, in early spring 2009.

Your support is crucial as we continue to say that state-subsidized discrimination is wrong!  Our budget at KFA is less than 1/10th of the smaller of the two national organizations working to overturn our March victory.

We need your help! Please consider making a donation to KFA today. With a tax-deductible donation to our Foundation or with a contribution to our Action fund supporting our lobbying efforts, you can help make a difference for fairness in Kentucky in 2009.

 

In fairness,

Your KFA Team!

 

P.S. While some of our strongest allies are members of the faith community, it's no secret that the majority of the funding used to defend the continuation of GLBT discrimination comes from extreme right-wing, mega-churches who unabashedly collect regular tithes and contributions from their supporters. By becoming a Family member of KFA, your monthly recurring contributions will help us become the well-resourced organization we must to be successful.

Ampersand. The Ampersand symbolizes the solidarity we are building through Friends & Family, and suggests the inclusiveness we are working toward. It reflects the idea that no one individual, legislator, organization, or city can carry all the water for equality. Our success lies in our solidarity.