Catholic League for Religious & Civil Rights v. City & County of San Francisco

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

Re: Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss

Plaintiffs Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, Dr. Richard Sonnenshein, and Valerie Meehan (collectively “plaintiffs”) filed this action against defendants City and County of San Francisco, Aaron Peskin, and Tom Ammiano, (collectively “defendants” or “the City”) alleging that defendants violated .the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The dispute arises over a resolution passed by the Board of Supervisors in response to a statement by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith at the Vatican concerning the adoption of children by same-sex couples. Now before the court is defendants’ motion to dismiss -plaintiffs’ - complaint for failure to state a claim on which relief can be granted. Having considered the parties’ arguments and submissions, and for the reasons set forth below, the court enters the following memorandum and order.

BACKGROUND

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is a Catholic civil rights organization organized to defend the right of Catholics to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination. Compl. ¶ 10. The…