RICHMOND, VA. ? The Rev. Todd Pyle thought it was the perfect spot to baptize 12 new members of his church — the river was calm and shallow and there was a shaded area offshore for people to stand.

But officials at the Falmouth Waterfront Park just outside Fredericksburg weren’t pleased. They tried to break up the religious ceremony, claiming it might be offensive to swimmers nearby or others using the park. After Pyle finished the baptism, he was asked to leave.

Now free-speech advocates are outraged and are threatening to file a lawsuit if the park refuses to allow future gatherings by religious groups, something the park admits it has no written policy against.

“These people are being discriminated against because of the content of their speech,” said the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, who heads the Christian Defense Coalition. “It’s one of the most egregious violations of the First Amendment I have ever seen.”