November 2017 – D. James Kennedy Ministries (Coral Ridge, Florida) filed a lawsuit against the SPLC on August 23 in an Alabama federal court. Coral Ridge Ministries v Southern Poverty Law Center (et al.) is rooted in SPLC’s designation of the ministry as a “hate group” for holding traditional Christian views of marriage and human sexuality.
SPLC has also attached this label to other Christian groups that have similar traditional values, including American Family Association.
The Kennedy suit regards the tag as libel and defamation, and is seeking a jury trial and financial restitution.
David Gibbs, the Texas attorney representing the ministry, said, “To be defamed as a hate group is nothing more than an attempt to silence every Bible believer in our nation. This type of bullying is wrong, immature, and dangerous.”
