Source: Metropolitan News-Enterprise
http://www.metnews.com/articles/2006/fait092106.htm
On September 21, 2006 Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported, "Public libraries which open their meeting rooms to private groups can prohibit use of the rooms for religious worship, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday. The court reversed U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White of the Northern District of California, who granted a preliminary injunction prohibiting Contra Costa County from enforcing such a ban in its public libraries. Judge Richard A. Paez, writing for the Ninth Circuit, said: '[T]he County’s decision to exclude . . . religious worship services from the meeting room is reasonable in light of the library policy so that the . . . [library] is not transformed into an occasional house of worship.' The county makes its public library meeting rooms available to the public during library hours for 'educational, cultural and community related meetings, programs and activities.' The county prohibits use of the rooms for 'religious services.' Faith Center Church Evangelistic Ministries is a non-profit religious corporation led by Pastor Hattie Mae Hopkins. Hopkins testified that she believes there are many individuals who need to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ but who may never enter a traditional church building. To reach those individuals, Hopkins holds meetings and worship services in non-church buildings under the auspices of Faith Center. Faith Center applied for and was granted permission to use a meeting room at Antioch Library... Toward the end of the afternoon service, library staff informed Faith Center representatives that they were not permitted to use the meeting room for religious activities. The library subsequently rescinded its permission for Faith Center to use the room at a future date."