St. Mary's Health Center Medical and Dental Clinic in Wilmington, N.C., has filed a restraining order against the Basilica of St. Mary, WECT reported Oct. 17.
The restraining order was filed amid a strained relationship between the church and the clinic, which is the city's only surgical dental clinic that provides free services to low-income patients.
Ten notes:
1. The clinic received a notice from the Basilica of St. Mary in April to vacate the building by July 1, and was later served an eviction notice in August.
2. The pastor of the Basilica of St. Mary said the church needs the clinic space to expand its Catholic school. He also said the church wanted to allow the clinic to stay until the end of the year, but that the request was met with "inadequate response."
3. Laura Vinson, executive director at the clinic, said the center had to stay open past the deadline because the staff couldn’t find a place to relocate and because the center still had patients to serve.
4. A judge dismissed the eviction notice in September, allowing the clinic to continue operating while working with the church on a new timeline to vacate the building.
5. A doorbell camera at the clinic recorded a video of the priest allegedly watching as a locksmith changed the clinic's locks, and later allegedly directing a worker to remove the cameras.
6. Ms. Vinson said the clinic was not notified that the locks would be changed.
7. Ms. Vinson added that staff have not been able to serve patients because they can no longer access the building.
8. In a statement posted on its website, the church said the clinic has refused any move-out timelines, forcing it to give the clinic a trespassing notice.
9. Ms. Vinson filed a temporary restraining order so that the clinic can begin seeing patients again.
10. The church and clinic are scheduled for an Oct. 25 court hearing to determine if the restraining order should be converted to a preliminary injunction.