The lawsuit seeks to restore the church as the rightful awardee from UMS’ first, non-discriminatory bidding process.

In the amended complaint, Liberty Counsel argues that the university’s chief procurement officer rejected the losing bidders’ protests as meritless and improper on the account of their religious animus. However, UMS Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Ryan Low overrode that determination and revoked the award under “religiously bigoted” pressure to rescind the sale from donors, stakeholders, and even a state legislator, states the complaint. 

“Low granted [a losing bidder’s] appeal and executed the exact discriminatory remedy the biased disappointed respondents demanded, thereby validating private bigotry as official state action,” reads the complaint.

Government officials cannot be “vehicles for private bias and class-based animus,” and in rescinding the church’s award UMS officials discriminated against the church based on religion in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments, concluded the complaint.

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “Calvary Chapel Belfast rightfully won the University of Maine System’s first bidding process earning the right to negotiate for the sale, but the university unlawfully withdrew that opportunity. The church participated in the bidding process in good faith, but UMS faltered after community backlash while giving the excuse of procedural deficiencies. Such discrimination is unlawful, and an injunction is necessary to restore the church’s bid award and stop these unconstitutional actions.”