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Federal Judge Blocks Maine Church a Second Time in Building Sale

Photo: 560 WGAN Newsradio


A federal judge is denying a church’s attempt for a second time to block the sale of a building by the University of Maine System.

U.S. District Court Judge Stacey Neumann issued a decision Wednesday denying a preliminary injunction to Calvary Chapel Belfast to halt the sale of the school’s Hutchinson Center to Waldo Community Action Partners, a nonprofit.

Neumann previously denied the Church’s request for a temporary restraining order in the sale.

Calvary Chapel then immediately filed an appeal with the 1st District U.S. Appeals Court in Boston.

The church claims there was discrimination based on its religious affiliation in the bidding process to purchase the building, which was rejected by the judge in her Wednesday decision.

“The Church has produced no evidence of impermissible religious animus from within the System, and the Court has concluded the alleged substantive and procedural departures are not probative of any intent by the System to discriminate on the basis of religion or adopt the community’s religious animus, wrote Judge Neumann.

The University of Maine System had selected Calvary Chapel as the winning bidder for the Hutchinson Center last year, but then rescinded its decision after objections by two other bidders.

The system said it rescinded the offer because it had failed to consider the importance of its own network hub in the building and the need to keep it in place.

The Hutchinson Center was subsequently sold to Waldo Community Action Partners in a second round of bidding for $3.06 million.

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