Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk of court who famously went to jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, has been following orders since her release from jail, a federal judge said on Tuesday.
While Ms. Davis has been issuing gay marriage licenses from her office, she continues to court controversy, according to the Associated Press. Licenses issued to gay couples have been altered, removing the clerk's name and title. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin signed an executive order in December, allowing clerks names to be removed from license.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against Ms. Davis, asking that she reissue the altered licenses. United States District Judge David Bunning denied the request, the AP reported.
The controversy began last summer when the U.S. Supreme Court essentially legalized gay marriage. Ms. Davis, citing her religious beliefs refused to issue licenses to gay couples from her Kentucky office. She was ordered to jail for five days for contempt of court.
Ms. Davis' imprisonment sparked a ferocious debate over religious liberty and equality, with many Republican politicians siding with Ms. Davis, who is a Democrat.
After the latest ACLU lawsuit, Ms. Davis' lawyer, Mat Staver, said the organization wasn't interested in gay marriage, only in taking down the Kentucky clerk.
"From the beginning, we have said the ACLU is not interested in marriage licenses," he wrote, according to the AP. "They want Kim Davis' scalp. They want to force her to violate her conscience. I am glad the court rejected this bully tactic."
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