They're 'Targeting Christians': Liberal City Forced To Pay MASSIVE Settlement For Unjust Arrest Of Christian Covid-19 Protesters

Three Christians received a massive $300,000 payout in a settlement with the city of Moscow, Idaho over being arrested for not wearing face masks at an outdoor church service that was held during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The three Christians, Gabriel Rench and Sean and Rachel Bohnet, filed the lawsuit against the city in March 2021 claiming that the arrest violated both their First and Fourth Amendment rights, per Fox News. The individuals were arrested during an outdoor “psalm sing” that was being held by church leaders in September 2020 at Christ Church. Christ Church has about 1,000 members that belong to the congregation. 

The liberal city of Moscow is a town that is home to approximately 25,000 and is also host to the University of Idaho. 

The “psalm sing” was held at the Moscow City Hall in protest against the COVID-19 guidelines placed by the city. Outside the town hall, city officials had placed yellow dots six feet apart for citizens to stand on and social distance which were ignored by the church-goers. 

The three Christians were then arrested and charged with violating the city’s extended health ordinance, though there were notable exemptions in the ordinance for activities protected by the U.S. Constitution like protesting and religious activities. 

Because of these exceptions put into the ordinance, a judge dismissed the case against them with U.S. District Court Judge Morrison C. England Jr. writing in February of 2023 to dismiss the city’s attempt, writing that the "plaintiffs should never have been arrested in the first place, and the constitutionality of what the City thought [its] code said is irrelevant."

"Somehow, every single City official involved overlooked the exclusionary language [of constitutionally protected behavior] in the Ordinance," England Jr. noted in his writing. 

Per the press release, the city's liability insurance provider, Idaho Counties Risk Management Program (ICRMP), “determined that a financial settlement in the case was the best course of action to dispose of the suit and avoid a protracted litigation proceeding."

"Under the terms of the settlement agreement, ICRMP will pay a total settlement amount of $300,000 and all claims against the City and the named City employees will be dismissed with prejudice along with a release of all liability," the release read. It also said that the settlement "provides closure of a matter related to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and the City’s efforts to protect the public during an exceptionally trying time."

Rench spoke about the arrest and what it is like living in the liberal city of Moscow, noting how numerous residents have called him “an idiot” who has failed to “love his neighbor.” They’ve also told him to “take [his] money and run” following the large payout from the city.

"I think it's no secret that portions of our government and political groups are now starting to target Christians in a way that has never really happened in America or Canada," he said, alluding to the jailing of pastors in Canada for holding church services in the past years. 

"I'm in a conservative state, but I live in a liberal town, and the liberals had no problem arresting me for practicing my religious rights and my Constitutional rights," he said. "But my [Republican] governor also didn't defend me either. If you look at what's going on in Canada, I think America's 10 years, at most 20 years, behind Canada if we don't make significant changes."

"What needs to happen is the people need to change how they vote and disincentivize the targeting of Christians and those who are genuinely trying to defend the Constitution," Rench further noted. 

"It's actually the city of Moscow that was defying the law," he said. "I was obeying the law. The political system doesn't want to give away their power, and they think if they admit they're wrong, they look at that as like they're losing their political power."

Their win awards Christians and those who protested the COVID-19 pandemic’s overreaching rules for standing behind their beliefs. Regardless of what is going on in the world, it’s wrong for any government entity to attempt to roll back the rights afforded to American citizens by the U.S. Constitution.