A Midlands town required a permit for a religious sign. Now it’s being sued
A small town in Lexington County is being sued after it required a man to obtain a permit to share his religious message through a sign.
The Texas-based First Liberty Institute, a national Christian conservative legal organization, announced via a news release that it has filed a federal lawsuit and a motion for preliminary injunction against the town of Chapin on behalf of local resident Ernest Giardino, who was told on June 20, 2024, that he needed a permit to stand on a sidewalk with a sign that read, “Trust Christ He paid the price” on one side and, “He Saved Others — Jesus — He’ll Save You” on the other side.
“No one should be forced to ask the government’s permission to express their faith in a public space,” First Liberty Senior Counsel Nate Kellum is quoted in the release, echoing a point he made when the organization first complained about Chapin’s treatment of Giardino back in October 2024. At that time, First Liberty issued a news release condemning the town’s actions and sent a letter to the municipality of roughly 2,000 people, which sits near the shores of Lake Murray.
“The First Amendment is his permit,” Kellum was quoted then and now. “Like any citizen in any city in America, Mr. Giardino is free to peacefully share his religious beliefs on a public sidewalk. Chapin’s ordinance is overbroad, unconstitutional, and must be repealed or enjoined.”
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, complains that Chapin required Giardino to apply for a permit to “hold a sign on a public way,” as well as asking him to give 14 days’ notice for his use of a sign and to provide the content of his sign for the “standardless approval of the Mayor.” The complaint also takes issue with Chapin regulations limiting Giardino’s time holding the sign to 30 minutes and making him move to a different spot after 15 minutes.
“Giardino seeks nominal damages vindicating the violation of his constitutional rights in the past and injunctive and declaratory relief to avoid further violation of his constitutional rights in the future,” the lawsuit says.
In both releases sent out about Giardino, First Liberty notes that he “had held similar signs on Chapin sidewalks for the previous eight months without incident.”
The town didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
When First Liberty initially complained about Chapin’s treatment of Giardino, officials told The State they were trying to balance the right to free speech with maintaining the character and functionality of public spaces.
Chapin Town Administrator Nicholle Burroughs confirmed then that “a public demonstration permit is required whenever signage or sound amplification devices are utilized” and “all demonstrations, regardless of content, must follow the town’s permitting process and comply with local ordinances.”
“Our goal is to balance the right to free speech with the need for reasonable regulations on the size, placement, and duration of signage, as well as the use of amplification devices,” Burroughs said in an October statement.
This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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