The legal director of the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center will speak at the Westport Library on Monday evening, February 10, at a program sponsored by the Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County.

David Niose, a Massachusetts attorney since 1990, has advocated for church/state separation and the rights of humanists and other nontheists, and is currently involved in implementing a legal strategy to enforce the rights of these groups via the avenue of equal protection law in his home state.

He'll describe the rise of secular Americans, the issues at stake, and the current status of litigation on issues such as teacher-led religious recitals in the public schools, religious symbols installed on public property, and religious requirements in the military.

Niose has worked in print and broadcast media, taught history and law, and written extensively on an array of issues. He is author of the critically acclaimed “Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans.”

Niose initiated and helped develop the AHA’s media campaign after joining that organization’s board in 2005, and later served as its President. He has appeared in national media and spoken to groups around the country, emphasizing the importance of utilizing mass media to inject humanist ideas into the public dialogue, improve the public image of humanists, and sway public opinion away from the religious right.

“I’m looking forward to getting first-hand knowledge of what’s going on in the courts.  Niose is the one I’d want to listen to.” said Leslie O’Toole, HFFC Membership Chair.

Admission is free; the program begins at 7 pm in the McManus Room of the Westport Library, 20 Jesup Road, Westport.

The HFFC meets on the second Monday of each month. Its members combine reason with compassion, integrating modern understanding of the world with an affirmative life view.