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May 12, 2008

Charity Volunteers File Lawsuit Against Calif. State Parks Officials

A charity’s volunteers have filed a federal lawsuit against California State parks officials alleging their constitutional rights were violated after the group tried to provide food for homeless people at a beach, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Welcome INN went to Doheny State Beach, in Dana Point, Calif., to give food to homeless people but was blocked by a park ranger, who allegedly told the group’s representatives that they were taking part in “unlawful assembly” and threatened them with arrest. A complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the charity, said the group provided food in the park’s picnic area on two nights in February without action by park officials.

Hector Villagra, a lawyer for the ACLU, says the section of California’s code the park ranger cited “is fundamentally flawed from a First Amendment perspective.” The lawsuit seeks to overturn the provision.

Roy Stearns, a spokesman for the state parks system, said, “It’s not appropriate for a state park system that’s designed for vacation and recreation . . . to be an answer to a social-services problem.”

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