Circuit Court Judge Jacqueline Bolton on Thursday morning directed the city of East Ridge to allow the East Ridge Soccer Association to have access to all of its equipment and to the soccer fields at Camp Jordan.
East Ridge City Manager Tim Gobble said the city had already been letting the soccer group use the equipment.
He said at the same time the judge directed that no equipment be removed from Camp Jordan until the lawsuit filed by the soccer group is settled.
A full hearing on the matter has been set for Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.
Attorney Chris Clem said the East Ridge Soccer Association "has reluctantly been forced to file a lawsuit against the city of East Ridge. The East Ridge Soccer Association has been a valid non-profit corporation operating in the state of Tennessee since 1969. The members and families affiliated with East Ridge Soccer Association are largely from outside of the City of East Ridge. Many families are from north Georgia, East Brainerd, Brainerd, Bradley County and Chattanooga.
"The East Ridge Soccer Association has operated for decades both a recreation league at Camp Jordan and a select soccer league which plays soccer throughout the southeast. The select league merely practices at Camp Jordan. In January of 2012 the city of East Ridge notified the East Ridge Soccer Association that it intended to run its own recreation league and select soccer league at Camp Jordan. The city of East Ridge has every right to run its own recreation and select leagues at Camp Jordan. However, the city of East Ridge did not simply ask the East Ridge Soccer Association to leave Camp Jordan. The city of East Ridge applied political pressure and legal threats to force the East Ridge Soccer Association to dissolve and turn over all their assets, equipment and bank accounts to East Ridge.
"The East Ridge Soccer Association pleaded with East Ridge to come to a settlement. The East Ridge Soccer Association offered to allow the city of East Ridge to use their approximately $100,000 worth of sporting equipment, goals, flags, concession equipment and other assets for free during the Spring of 2012. East Ridge refused. East Ridge threatened to administratively dissolve the East Ridge Soccer Association – which is not legally possible since it was properly created by the Tennessee Secretary of State. East Ridge demanded that all assets, including bank accounts, be turned over to the city of East Ridge.
"The city of East Ridge on Friday, February 10, 2012, illegally seized all the equipment and assets of the East Ridge Soccer Association based on the claim that some citizens from East Ridge had paid some fees to the East Ridge Soccer Association over the years. Apparently, East Ridge believes it can seize any asset or equipment from any person or entity that rents the facilities at Camp Jordan. Gun shows, coin shows and Home School fairs should beware. East Ridge also believes it can seize any and all assets of any non-profit organization in East Ridge. Churches and Boy Scout troops should beware.
"East Ridge believes it can seize private property from any entity without going to court, without eminent domain proceedings and without notice. The East Ridge Soccer Association is willing to continue to operate the recreation league and the select soccer leagues at Camp Jordan. If East Ridge wants to run said leagues then they have every right to do so. However, East Ridge does not have the right to evict the East Ridge Soccer Association and at the same time demand to keep the Associations assets and equipment and prevent them from continuing to exist outside of Camp Jordan. This intimidation by a local government to take whatever it wants by force can not be permitted in a free society.
"Local sports associations from across Tennessee have been stunned that a local city could simply seize all the assets of a private organization in the name of 'we are doing it for the children.' Sadly, the East Ridge Soccer Association had no other choice but to file suit if it wanted to keep the equipment and assets it had accumulated since 1969 which had been illegally seized by East Ridge."