A federal judge has ordered the state of Kentucky to pay more than $150,000 in legal fees stemming from a lawsuit against the state Transportation Cabinet.
The state must pay for work performed by attorneys for the ACLU of Kentucky and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. The two groups represented Kenton County resident Ben Hart.
Hart, who is an atheist, filed a lawsuit in 2016 after the Transportation Cabinet denied him a personalized license plate that read “IMGOD.” The Division of Motor Vehicles said the message was “not in good taste.”
A federal judge ruled last year the decision violated Hart’s First Amendment rights. U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove's ruling said, "To allow such plates as ‘IM4GOD’ AND ‘LUVGOD’ but reject ‘IMGOD’ belies viewpoint neutrality.”
Hart received his specialized plate just a few weeks ago.
