BRYAN — A criminal conviction regarding the fire code violations against Pastor Chris Avell of Dad’s Place in Bryan was vacated on Friday, September 25, 2026, by Ohio’s Sixth District Court of Appeals, according to a news release from First Liberty Institute.
The court concluded that the trial court failed to rule on Pastor Avell’s constitutional defenses that the city was violating his rights under both the U.S. and Ohio Constitutions, and remanded the case to the trial court to consider the constitutional defenses in the first instance.
Earlier this year, the Williams County Court of Common Pleas issued a final order dismissing with prejudice a lawsuit brought by city officials in Bryan seeking to shut down the religious activities of Dad’s Place and Pastor Avell based on the same fire code violations.
Pastor Avell is represented by First Liberty Institute and the law firms Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP; Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP; and Spengler Nathanson PLL.
“We are grateful that the court vacated the criminal conviction,” said Ryan Gardner, Senior Counsel for First Liberty. “Pastor Chris has the constitutional right to operate his church free from the government imposing draconian fire code regulations. We hope that this latest ruling will put an end to the years-long legal battle that Pastor Chris has endured. We are grateful to all the work of our co-counsels in this case.”
Dad’s Place is a church in northwest Ohio that operates 24 hours a day to serve the most vulnerable in its community. According to the release, for almost three years the City of Bryan has attempted to shut down the church’s ministry through multiple criminal and civil proceedings, including 18 criminal zoning charges, middle-of-the-night fire inspections, and both criminal and civil fire code prosecutions.
The release also states that while city officials demanded the church install an expensive fire suppression system, the city does not require any of its motels, most of its apartment complexes, or a senior living facility to install fire suppression systems in their buildings.
The court’s opinion can be read here.
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to defending religious freedom.
— Press Release
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