Federal judge deals another blow to church in Hutchinson Center dispute
May 7—A federal judge has again sided with the University of Maine System in a lawsuit filed by an evangelical church to stop the sale of a Belfast building it once hoped to buy.
The Calvary Chapel church in Belfast is arguing the system exhibited antireligious bias when it revoked an agreement it had to sell the Hutchinson Center to the church and entertained another round of bids, ultimately selling the building to a local nonprofit in November. The two parties have been locked in a legal dispute ever since.
U.S. District Court Judge Stacey Neumann issued a ruling Wednesday in which she said the church failed to show evidence of religious animus in the system's decision. Calvary Chapel quickly filed an appeal to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.
"The Church has produced no evidence of impermissible religious animus from within the System," and there is no "intent by the System to discriminate on the basis of religion or adopt the community's religious animus," Neumann wrote.
University of Maine System spokesperson Samantha Warren said an emailed statement Wednesday that the system has always maintained it did not discriminate against the church.
"Today, the Court upheld that the transparent, competitive process through which our System has sought to sell the Hutchinson Center offered fair opportunity to all parties," Warren said. "That includes those who may be disappointed by our decision to ultimately award the right to negotiate sale terms and conditions to a community organization that offered more than double the purchase price of any other bidder."
Liberty Counsel, a Christian ministry based in Orlando, Florida that litigates on behalf of religious freedom causes, is representing Calvary Chapel. Daniel Schmid, the lead attorney on the case, said Wednesday that he believes the judge's ruling was incorrect and ignored evidence that the system violated its own process.
"They blew up the entire procedure to rescind Calvary Chapel's award, and then looked for a backdoor to justify their pretextual rescission of that. And we think we have a good chance of success on appeal," Schmid said.
THE BIDS
The University of Maine System received three bids last summer when it opened up a sale of the Hutchinson Center, a Belfast educational hub that hasn't hosted in-person classes since 2020. The winning bid came from Calvary Chapel Belfast, which said it planned to use the building to expand its congregation.
But the two other bidders filed appeals, some community members objected and the system ultimately rescinded the sale, citing a procedural error in the assessment process that didn't account for a network hub based in the building and the cost of keeping it in place.
The system put out a new call for bids in the fall and received offers from the same three bidders. But this time, the nonprofit Waldo Community Action Partners submitted a bid for $3.06 million — far over the assessed value and much higher than Calvary Chapel's second-round bid of $1.1 million. The system awarded WCAP the building in November.
Shortly after, the church filed a lawsuit in federal court, arguing the system showed religious bias in the bidding and sale process. They also requested a temporary restraining order to stop the sale. But Neuman denied that request in January, writing that the church did not present sufficient evidence that the system was motivated by religious bias or that the bidding process was rigged.
The court held an evidentiary hearing on March 4 on a preliminary injunction requested by the church, which again sought to stop the sale while litigation continued. In her ruling this week on that injunction, Neuman maintained her position.
Schmid, the church's attorney, said he believes the church provided plenty of evidence that public animus against the church pressured the university to change its decision. And he said the process is a long way from over — in addition to the appeal, the church has filed a notice in the Waldo County recording office that warns potential purchasers of the building that the lawsuit may "unwind" that sale.
"I would have preferred for Calvary Chapel be in it today. They were lawfully entitled to it, their ministry could benefit from it, and they were unconstitutionally and unlawfully denied access to it. So in any just world they should be there," Schmid said.
Warren said in her statement that the university system will continue to defend itself in any further proceedings.
"We welcome the Court's decision, which is yet another affirmation of the integrity of our process and our continued commitment to acting in the best interests of our public institutions and the tuition and taxpayers of Maine," she said.
Copy the Story Link
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Luther Seminary to sell St. Paul campus after 120 years
Luther Seminary to sell St. Paul campus after 120 years originally appeared on Bring Me The News. Luther Seminary's campus in St. Paul, which has operated for 120 years, will be vacated after the 2026-2027 school year, seminary leaders have announced. In a statement Tuesday, Luther Seminary President Robin Steinke said the seminary will be seeking a new space in the Twin Cities area and "shifting to a more nimble model" as 70% of its current students choose online education. 'Our mission to educate leaders for Christian communities remains as vital and necessary as ever,' Steinke stated. 'To remain sustainable over the long term, how we fulfill this mission will be transformed going forward." The seminary's Board of Directors voted unanimously to begin the transition, which will involve seeking a buyer for its 10-acre upper campus in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood. The seminary's lower campus is already under contract to be sold to Edina-based developer Lifestyle Communities. Board Chair Carlos Peña said the seminary is taking "bold, faithful steps to meet the needs of the global church and our students while continuing our dedication to theological depth and academic rigor." "We will continue to deliver faithful and high-quality online education experiences alongside strategic in-person learning, all in service to Christian communities around the world," he continued. Founded in 1869, Luther Seminary is the largest seminary in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Abuse scandals throw Church of England into staffing crisis
The organisation that manages a large part of the Church of England's assets is bracing itself for a recruitment crisis in the wake of its latest abuse scandal, a report suggests. The Church Commissioners of England has described its reputational risk as 'at an elevated level' after the Anglican Church apologised for more historic safeguarding failures and a review into one prolific abuser prompted the Archbishop of Canterbury's resignation. It comes as the body that manages the Church's endowment fund – its largest source of revenue – announced a 10.3 per cent return last year, taking the value of the fund to £11.1 billion at the end of last year. In November, the extent of abuse carried out by barrister John Smyth, who abused up to 130 boys and young men over several decades, was revealed in a damning report. Smyth, who died aged 77 in 2018, used his role at Christian summer camps to meet victims, yet his crimes were not reported until 2013, decades after many were carried out. The 2024 Makin review, found that the 'abhorrent abuse' by Smyth could have been exposed four years earlier if Justin Welby, the then Archbishop of Canterbury, had contacted the authorities and done more to follow up on reports. Mr Welby announced his resignation days after the report, and formally ended his tenure earlier this year. A replacement for the highest position in the Church of England is yet to be decided, with the selection process not set to conclude until later this year. A section of the 2024 Church Commissioners for England annual report suggested there were concerns about the effects on its own recruitment. The report said: 'Reputation is important for any charity, and the Church Commissioners considers its reputational risk currently to be at an elevated level. 'Members of the public, whether they consider themselves part of the Church of England or not, can quickly form opinions about the Church as an institution based on what they see/hear/read in various forms of media, which understandably impacts their perception and view of the Church Commissioners.' Referring to the Smyth case and Mr Welby's resignation, the authors wrote: 'This case and other safeguarding failures undermine public confidence in the assertions made by the Church, including the Church Commissioners, about the importance of, and priority given to, safeguarding. 'The potential reputational impacts could be far reaching; for example they may in turn make it more difficult for us to attract and retain staff.' The same part of the report also referred to controversial slavery reparations, which were set to total £100 million over a nine-year period. It named the Fund for Healing Repair and Justice, an investment fund that will aim to raise £1 billion for members of communities affected by slavery, following criticism that the £100 million sum was not enough. Acknowledging the reparations issue, the report read: 'The highly significant and contested nature of the Church Commissioners' work researching and responding to historical links with African chattel enslavement also attracted significant attention, comment and, in some cases, criticism. 'Further reaction (including negative comment) to this programme of work is expected when the intended new Fund for Healing, Repair and Justice is launched, making investments and issuing grants.' Meanwhile, it was revealed that clergy would receive a pay rise of nearly 11 per cent next year as their stipends continue to catch up with salaries. The two key measures for clergy pay, the National Minimum Stipend and the National Stipend Benchmark, will both rise by 10.7 per cent next year, to £33,350 and £34,950 respectively. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Education notes: Sterling student graduates from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Jun. 7—MILWAUKEE — Sterling resident Mackenzie Arndt recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Arndt received a bachelor's degree from the university's School of Education. The commencement ceremony was Sunday, May 18. The ceremony awarded degrees to 2,919 students. Rock Falls student named to Pennsylvania Western University's dean's list ROCK FALLS — Rock Falls resident Claire Bickett recently was named to Pennsylvania Western University's dean's list for the spring semester. Bickett attends the university's Clarion campus. The dean's list honors students who earned a semester GPA of 3.4 or higher. The students also must complete a minimum of 12 graded credit hours. Dixon students named to Cedarville University dean's list CEDARVILLE, Ohio — Dixon residents Madisyn Rubright and Alivia Rubright were named to Cedarville University's dean's list for the spring semester. The dean's list honors students with a semester GPA of 3.5 or higher. The students also must complete at least 12 credit hours. Cedarville University is an evangelical Christian university that offers undergraduate and graduate art, science and professional field programs. For more information, visit Newman Central Catholic High School graduates earn over $3.3 million in scholarships STERLING — Newman Central Catholic High School recently announced that its graduating class earned more than $3.3 million in scholarship awards. The 42 students were involved in faith-based services, student leadership, athletics and fine arts. "These numbers are impressive, but they're only part of the story," Newman Central Catholic High School director of marketing and enrollment Gehrig Koerner said in a news release. "What makes our students truly special is how they balance their studies with service, sports, faith and friendship. They're ready to make an impact in our community."
