A Pennsylvania National Guard facility refused to allow a Christian scouting group to go on a tour at their station because of their Christian faith.
According to Fox News, Trail Life USA Troop PA-2717 was denied the opportunity to tour the Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard facility because of its religious affiliation. The facility regularly holds tours for Boy Scouts of America troops.
Fox News reports that the troop was originally granted permission back in February to tour the facility. Then in April, a staff sergeant contacted the Troop master and explicitly told him that the tour was no longer permissible because of the scouting group’s religious foundation.
Reportedly, this prompted Trail Life USA – a Christian scouting group created as an alternative to the Boy Scouts – to contact First Liberty Institute and the Independence Law Center. Both law groups specialize in religious liberty cases.
The law firms wrote to the National Guard in a joint letter that read – “Fort Indiantown Gap’s denial of access to the base facilities, which are open to other civic, fraternal, and youth organizations and for youth activities, constitutes viewpoint discrimination.”
The groups also noted in the letter that the decision was blatantly “discriminatory and unconstitutional.”
Fox News reports that after recieving the letter, the military branch “quickly backed down” and will again be allowing the Trailmen to tour their facility.