Federal judge dismisses defendants from Kirk lawsuit

By NewsPress Now

Two defendants have been dismissed from a discrimination and defamation suit brought by a local pastor whose spot on a St. Joseph library board was not renewed.

Steven Greiert and Josh Blevins’ motion to dismiss them from the federal lawsuit filed by Brian Kirk was granted last week by Senior Judge Gary A. Fenner of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. The city of St. Joseph remains a defendant in the case.

Kirk originally filed a lawsuit in January in Buchanan County Circuit Court against the city, Greiert and Blevins. The defendants later got the case moved to the federal court.

Kirk is a pastor at First Christian Church and alleges the non-renewal of his tenure as a St. Joseph Public Library board member last year is because he is gay and an advocate for LGBTQ people. The lawsuit contended actions by Blevins, pastor at Grace Calvary Chapel, and Greiert, who is the chairman of the Buchanan County Republican Central Committee, caused members of the St. Joseph City Council to not reappoint him to the board.

Kirk alleges the defendants discriminated against him and suppressed his freedom of speech.

“Ultimately, plaintiff was removed (from the library board) due to his speech of support of the LGBTQ community, his religious speech, and because he is an openly gay pastor,” Kirk’s attorneys said in an April 16 filing.