Idaho city settles lawsuit over local law, LGBT weddings

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) — A city in northern Idaho has settled a lawsuit brought by wedding chapel owners who oppose same sex marriage.

Coeur d'Alene agreed Friday to pay the Hitching Post $1,000, but not to change its non-discrimination ordinance, reported The Coeur d'Alene Press (http://bit.ly/1SJw7jN). The city's ordinance makes it illegal to discriminate because of sexual orientation but includes an exception for religious organizations.

The Alliance Defending Freedom sued Coeur d'Alene on behalf of Hitching Post Weddings owners Donald and Evelyn Knapp, who say the ordinance violated their right to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion.

The Hitching Post filed paperwork declaring itself a religious organization shortly after Idaho's same-sex marriage ban was struck down by an October 2014 U.S. Supreme Court decision. The Knapps sued the next day.

The majority of the case was dismissed last month. The court, however, denied a motion to dismiss the Hitching Post's standing to bring a claim for economic injuries that occurred when it closed on October 15, 2014.

"Rather than using the taxpayers' money on defending our ordinance, we felt spending $1,000 was worth it to get out of it," said City Attorney Mike Gridley said on Monday. "One of the things they wanted was for us to amend the ordinance, but that won't happen now. The ordinance will remain unchanged."

But Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Jonathan Scruggs said he thinks his side ended up with the better deal.

"From my perspective, it's definitely a win," said Scruggs. "I equate the defendant's offer of judgment to a forfeit."

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Information from: Coeur d'Alene Press, http://www.cdapress.com

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