A lawsuit has been launched by a multi-faith group of Quincy residents intent on stopping the installation of two ten-foot-tall bronze statues depicting Catholic saints at the city's new public safety building. As reported by WCVB, the group, alongside civil liberties organizations, claims that the religious symbols would be a violation of the Massachusetts Constitution.
Funded by taxpayers to the tune of at least $850,000, the statues were commissioned by Mayor Thomas Koch without public consent or City Council discussion, which the residents argue undermines transparency. With one of the statues designed as stepping on a devil's head, the group contends, as detailed by WHDH, that these religious representations singularly endorse Catholicism over other faiths, or nonreligion.
The ACLU of Massachusetts, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation have banded together to represent the plaintiffs. According to the lawsuit filed in Norfolk Superior Court, these statues send an imposing and exclusive message. "This isn’t about opposing anyone's faith — it's about keeping government neutral so that everyone, regardless of what they believe, feels equally welcome and protected," Gilly Rosenthol, one of the plaintiffs, explained in a statement obtained by WCVB.
The City's involvement with the statues, as the ACLU detailed, amounts to an entanglement with religion that could alienate Quincy's diverse population. Heather L. Weaver, the Senior Counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, told WCVB, "The City has abandoned its constitutional duty to remain neutral on matters of faith." As the residents argue, individuals who do not align with the favored religious beliefs are welcomed less the moment they step foot into a government building meant to serve all. The lawsuit demands the city cease its plans and maintain a neutral stance on religious matters.
