City accused of RELIGIOUS BIAS

. DANA NICOLE ON THAT. >> John: ALREADY, FOR RELIGIOUS. FREEDOM IN DEARBORN, MICHIGAN. A JOURNALIST SUING THE ARAB. MAJORITY CITY AND IT'S MAYOR, ALLEGING THE TAXPAYER MONEY WAS. USED TO CELEBRATE RAMADAN WHILE. REQUESTS FOR A SIMILAR. RECOGNITION OF CHRISTIAN AND. JEWISH HOLIDAYS WERE DENIED. FOX NEWS LEGAL EDITOR KERRI. URBAHN IS HERE NOW. MICHAEL CLEVELAND IS THE. JOURNALIST WHO'S BRINGING THIS. SUIT. IT SAYS IN PART, THAT LAWSUIT. ALLEGES THAT CITY OFFICIALS. SPENT PUBLIC FUNDS AND USED CITY. PROPERTY TO PROMOTE AND.

CELEBRATE THE ISLAMIC HOLY MONTH. OF RAMADAN, WHILE REFUSING. CLEVELAND'S REPEATED REQUESTS. THAT THE CITY EXTEND THE SAME. RECOGNITION TO CHRISTIAN AND. JEWISH HOLIDAYS, AND THAT THE. MAYOR, ABDULLAH HAMMOUD, AND. OTHER CITY OFFICIALS, RETALIATED. AGAINST CLEVELAND FOR SPEAKING. OUT ABOUT THE DISPARITY. SO HOW DOES THIS FALL INTO THE. CONSTITUTION? >> A SMART CONSTITUTIONAL LAWYER. AND SHE HAS BUILT AN EXTENSIVE. RECORD, WHICH I'VE GONE THROUGH. A COUPLE OF TIMES NOW. AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE. THE FACTS THAT SHE ALLEGES THEM.

IN THE LAWSUIT ARE THAT THE CITY. OF DEARBORN ON PUBLIC PROPERTY. PUTS A LOT OF STUFF PROMOTING. RAMADAN OUT THERE FROM BANNERS. TO PRESIDENT THAT ARE LIT UP, AND THEN WHEN SHE HAS ASKED, IT. LOOKS LIKE AT LEAST OVER A YEAR. FOR SIMILAR DISPLAYS TO BE PUT. UP CELEBRATING EASTER AND. PASSOVER SHE'S BEEN IGNORED, SIDELINED AND EVEN WHEN THERE. WAS A BUDGET SURPLUS BECAUSE SHE. GOES TO ALL THE MEETINGS AND. COMPLAINS EVERY TIME, APPARENTLY, THAT USED THAT.

SURPLUS NOT TO CREATE OF EQUAL. DISPLAYS OF OTHER RELIGIONS, BUT. THEY JUST CREATED MORE DISPLAYS. CELEBRATING ISLAM. AND SO FROM A DIGITAL. PERSPECTIVE, IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE. THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T PREFER ONE. RELIGION OVER ANOTHER. AND IF YOU BASICALLY ALLOW ONE. GROUP TO DO SOMETHING, YOU KIND. OF HAVE TO LET THEM ALL. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT IS ONON THE. LAW SIDE OF THINGS. >> John: ALL RIGHT, SO TO YOUR. POINT ABOUT HER ASKING FOR FUNDS. AND THEY WERE PUT -- PLACED. ELSEWHERE, SHE TOLD THE. CLEVELAND THE JEWISH NEWS A. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MARGOT. CLEVELAND AND CLEVELAND JEWISH.

NEWS. SHE TOLD THE CLEVELAND JEWISH. NEWS THAT SHE SAID "AFTER I. CONTACTED THE CITY TO ENSURE. THEY WOULD BE DISPLAYING EASTER. AND PASSOVER BANNERS, NOT ONLY. DID THE CITY IGNORE ME, BUT THE. MAYOR THEN PURCHASED MORE. RAMADAN DECORATIONS FOR THE. FOLLOWING YEAR.". IT'S LIKE A FINGER IN THE EYE. >> THAT'S WHAT THE RECORD SHOWS. AND THE MAYOR ALSO ALLEGEDLY. TOLD THE CITY COUNCIL, THE. POLICE DEPARTMENT AND HIS STAFF. NOT TO HAVE ANY CONVERSATIONS. WITH HER. NOW THEY WOULD SAY IT'S BECAUSE. SHE WAS THREATENING LAWSUIT. SHE WOULD SAY, WELL, HEY, I'M A.

RESIDENT. I PAY TAXES. WHY WOULDN'T YOU RESPOND TO MY. CONSTITUTIONALLY SOUND REQUEST. AND, THIS MADE ME THINK OF THAT. OTHER SITUATION THAT RECENTLY. HAPPENED AND PANORAMIC, DID I. SAY THAT RIGHT? >> John: YEP. >> AND THEY'RE COMING. THIS IS THE NATION'S FIRST ALL. MUSLIM CITY COUNCIL AND SOME. PEOPLE TRIED TO FLY LGBTQ FLAG. ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, AND THE. COUNCICIL PASSED A BAN BANNING. THAT, BUT NOT JUST. THAT, BUT ALL OTHER RELIGIOUS,

RACIAL AND POLITICAL FLAGS, BASICALLY A NEUTRAL POLICY WE'RE. ONLY GOING TO FLY THE AMERICAN. FLAG, MICHIGAN FLAG AND A COUPLE. OF OTHER THINGS. THAT RESOLUTION WAS UPHELD. THROUGH FEDERAL COURTS, AND SO. THAT'S THE WAY TO DO IT. YOU EITHER HAVE THIS POLICY OF, HEY, WE'RE ONLY GOING TO DO THIS. ONE THING. WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE. ANYTHING, OR IF WE INCLUDE THIS. RELIGION, WE HAVE TO EQUALLY. ALLOW OTHER RELIGIONS TO. CELEBRATE AS WELL. YOU CAN'T JUST SAY WE'RE ONLY. GOING TO DO RAMADAN. WE EITHER DO NOTHING OR WE DO. EVERYTHING. >> ALL RIGHT, IT'S STILL AN. AMERICAN TOWN AND THE GOVERNMENT. CAN'T PREFER OR PROMOTE ONE.

RELIGION OVER ANOTHER. IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE. IN THAT RESPECT,. >> John: IT'S INTERESTING TO ME. THAT DEARBORN'S REALLY BECOMING. A FLASHPOINT OF THE GROWING. DIVIDE HERE IN AMERICA. >> IT IS. IT'S FASCINATING, AND THIS MAYOR. IS -- HE'S INTERESTING. HE HAS SOME SOCIALIST. TENDENCIES, SOME LIBERALAL. TENDENCIES. HE'S ALSO BEEN ONE OF THESE GUYS. WHO SAID, IF NETANYAHU COMES TO. THE CITY, HE'S GOING TO ARREST. HIM FOR WAR CRIMES, SO, YOU. KNOW, YOU'RE DEALING WITH A LOT. THERE. BUT THE CITY WOULD BE -- I'M. SURPRISED THAT THEY HAVE NOT PUT.

FORTH ANY KIND OF CELEBRATORY. MATERIAL PROMOTING OR EASTER OR. CHRISTMAS OR ANYTHING LIKE THIS. OR YOM KIPPUR COMES SOMETHING TO. SHOW, HEY, WE'RE TRYING OR WE'RE. PRETENDING TO BE -- GIVE GROUPS. EQUAL TREATMENT BECAUSE UNDER. THE LAW, WHAT THEY'RE DOING JUST. IS NOTOTOTOT S.