City of San Antonio forced to spend $315K in legal fees fighting two lawsuits after council voted to ban Chick-fil-A from airport over company’s ‘anti-LGBTQ behavior’
- Chick-fil-A was banned from opening as part of a new project coming to San Antonio International Airport in April 2020
- City of San Antonio appears to have spent $315,000 in legal fees fighting subsequent lawsuits
- City faced two legal actions and a federal investigation with more bills likely
- Since the city banned Chick-Fil-A last March, the chain has decided to stop giving money to anti-LGBTQ organizations
The city of San Antonio has spent at least $315,000 in legal fees after the city council voted to stop the San Antonio airport from opening a location of Chick-fil-A in a new dining concourse.
The San Antonio City Council voted to prevent the chain from opening up because of the company’s well documented ‘legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior.’
As a result of the council’s actions, the city has now paid out the cash in legal fees after it faced two lawsuits and a federal investigation, with other bills still to come.
San Antonio City Council banned Chick-fil-A from opening up at San Antonio International Airport as part of a new project coming in April 2020
Last year, Senator Ted Cruz shared his opposition to Chick-fil-A being banned from the airport, claiming that fast food fans were being punished because of the company’s philanthropic efforts.
‘The citizens of beautiful San Antonio deserve more delicious sandwiches, and fewer rabid attacks against companies because of their charitable giving to the community. Come on,’ Cruz posted on Twitter
The move came after Think Progress shared tax documents from Chick-fil-A Inc. showing it had donated $1.8million to discriminatory organizations.
It was despite a 2012 backlash against Chick-fil-A’s CEO Dan Cathy who claimed America is ‘inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.’
Senator Ted Cruz has shared his opposition to Chick-fil-A being banned from the airport
The city of San Antonio appears to have spent $315,000 in legal fees preventing the fast food chain from opening at the airport, pictured
The company later vowed in a Facebook statement to ‘leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena’.
Recent tax returns show the Chick-fil-A Foundation gave $1,653,416 to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, $6,000 to the Paul Anderson Youth Home, and $150,000 to the Salvation Army in 2017. It was even more than in 2016.
It was reported the Salvation Army had opposed legal protection for the LGBTQ community, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes had a policy that banned ‘homosexual acts’ and the Paul Anderson Youth Home taught troubled residents that homosexuality was wrong.
The chicken strip restaurant told Think Progress they stopped donating to the youth home after a ‘blog post from 2010 surfaced that does not meet Chick-fil-A’s commitment to creating a welcoming environment to all’.
Tax documents from Chick-fil-A Inc. showing they donated $1.8million to discriminatory organizations, including $1,653,416 to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
But the damage was already done for the City of San Antonio when it came to the airport allowing a location of the fast food chain to open up.
Councilman Roberto Treviño said in a statement: ‘The City Council reaffirmed the work our city has done to become a champion of equality and inclusion. San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior.’
In the time since their airport ban, Chick-fil-A has cut off support for the three groups that opposed gay marriage, much to the ire of its supporters.
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott also signed a ‘Save Chick-fil-A’ bill in June which serves to ensure religious beliefs are protected from discrimination.
Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy wrote in a letter to the American Family Association that the fast-food chain had ‘inadvertently discredited’ groups including the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes after changing its ‘giving strategy.’
‘We understand how some thought we were abandoning our longstanding support of faith-based organization,’ Cathy wrote. ‘We inadvertently discredited several outstanding organizations that have effectively served communities for years.’
‘The intent of our corporate giving has always been to have impact — not to make a statement or support a political or social agenda. Chick-fil-A will give to faith-based and other organizations that we believe to be highly effective in a particular area.’