Disabled woman wins case against local church

  

HOUSTON -- A court has ruled that a Houston church discriminated against a disabled woman banned from services for complaining about restroom accessibility.

Malaika Adan sued Beth Yeshua HaMashiach, a small church for Jewish and non-Jewish believers. According to her 2010 suit, she couldn't maneuver her wheelchair in the restroom and was asked to use one in another building. After she complained, church authorities banned her for six weeks.

The Houston Chronicle reports that last month, a Harris County court ordered the church to pay Adan $1,000 in statutory damages and about $52,000 in attorney's fees.

But worship leader Kathy Elowitz says they accommodate the disabled and don't discriminate.

Beth Yeshua HaMashiach rents space from a Baptist church, which has since resolved the issue of restroom access for the disabled.

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