NON-CHRISTIANS MAY APPLY; Jobs at citys new homeless center on Confederate Blvd. now wont be filled on discriminatory basis.

  • NON-CHRISTIANS MAY APPLY; Jobs at city’s new homeless center on Confederate Blvd. now won’t be filled on discriminatory basis.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Claudia Lauer reports this morning (pay wall) that the city of Little Rock will operate its long-planned day center for homeless people. It had originally proposed to pay Union Rescue Mission to run the center for $300,000, but controversy broke out recently over objections from the ACLU because Union Rescue planned to hire only evangelical Christians for staff jobs, from social workers to janitors.

Advertisement

The city and Union Rescue naturally say the controversy over hiring practices had nothing to do with the change. The city wants expanded weekend hours and Union Rescue had decided a separate director might have to be hired by the city at a cost beyond the $300,000. Yadda yadda.

This making-nice would be more believable had not a high city official told me weeks ago, not happily, that reporting here on the discriminatory hiring policies might have prompted Union Rescue’s earlier indications it was pulling away from the deal. Mayor Mark Stodola complained earlier also that the religious questions might delay the opening of the center. Union Rescue, which claims no affront over the matter in today’s story, earlier quit the communications network of the coalition of agencies serving the homeless in Little Rock because of its apparent pique over the questions about hiring that came from other coalition members. Today all profess interest in nothing but working together for the benefit of the homeless.

Advertisement

All’s well that end’s well. The city shouldn’t send money to organizations hat have explicitly discriminatory employment policies, be it legal to send them that money or not.

Invest in the future of great journalism in Arkansas

Join the ranks of the 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts who know that the Arkansas Times is the go-to source for tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been on the front lines of the fight for truth, and with your support, we can do even more. By subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers and expand our coverage. Don't miss out on the opportunity to make a difference with your subscription or donation to the Arkansas Times today.

Previous article Questions for Jeb Bush on charter schools Next article A gubernatorial trial balloon