N.J. woman sues over ‘8THEIST’ license plate

    A New Jersey woman has filed a lawsuit, claiming the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission rejected her application for a license plate proclaiming she’s an atheist.

    Shannon Morgan filed the suit Thursday in federal court, saying the agency violated her First Amendment rights by rejecting a plate reading “8THEIST.”

    The Maurice River Township woman says plates reading “BAPTIST” have been approved.

    Messages and emails left for the Motor Vehicles Commission were not immediately returned. A recorded message said the offices were closed in observance of Good Friday.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    New Jersey previously approved a request from a national atheist group’s president for a license plate with the word “atheist” after a brief flap. His plate had the number one in place of the letter “i.”

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal