Steve Tennes sued East Lansing in 2017 after officials excluded him from the city’s farmers market.
The situation followed Lansing saying he follows Catholic teachings about traditional marriage, including weddings held at his family’s farm.
After several years, a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Michigan ruled that the Tennes family were “forced to choose between following their religious beliefs and a government benefit for which they were otherwise qualified.”
According to the court, the city violated the Tennes’ free exercise rights.
“The reason is simple: denying a person an equal share of the rights, benefits, and privileges enjoyed by other citizens because of her faith discourages religious activity,” the ruling states.
Tennes told Fox News Digital that the decision to sue the city of East Lansing was difficult.
“This was a tough decision we had to make seven years ago when we were faced with the choice of providing for our family like we always had, or walking away from our religious beliefs. And as parents and as veterans, that was a very tough decision to make.”
“But we’re glad that we were able to go forward with this and the court has come out with a strong ruling that helps not just our family, but really people of all backgrounds and beliefs to realize that the government can’t choose to punish some people just because they don’t like their beliefs.”
Reporting from Fox News:
Country Mill Farms is a 120-acre, second-generation family farm in Charlotte, Michigan. Steve and his wife, Bridget Tennes, are both U.S. military veterans and served four years on active duty. Since 2010, Country Mill sold organic produce and other products at the East Lansing Farmer's Market. But in 2017, the city adopted a new policy that used a discretionary system of individual assessments to "target" Country Mill, according to the lawsuit filed by lawyers at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
