Appeals court hears argument from California pastor in internet discrimination case

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit heard oral arguments last week in a case brought by Southern California Christian pastor Jim Domen against the video sharing platform, Vimeo. At issue is Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which members of Congress and the FTC Chairman have said they plan to amend.Domen initially sued in June 2019. Vimeo filed a motion to dismiss, arguing the CDA gave it immunity even if the claims of discrimination were true. Oral arguments were heard in federal court in January, and Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron of the Southern District Court of New York granted Vimeo’s dismissal, citing the CDA.On Dec. 10, Domen’s attorney, Robert Tyler at Tyler & Bursch, LLP and president of Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a nonprofit religious liberty firm, argued that Congress in 1996 did not intend to immunize social media and internet platforms from legal prosecution if they intentionally and discriminatorily banned individuals and groups from their platforms based on race, sexual orientation or religion.A former homosexual and now Christian pastor married to a woman with three biological children, Domen alleges that Vimeo targeted him and his organization, Church United, because…
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