Room at the rotunda: ADF attorneys ensure nativity can be displayed in Wash. State Capitol building

adf ^ | October 17, 2007

[Coleus]

A man barred from placing a nativity scene in the Washington State Capitol rotunda last year will no longer face opposition from state officials.  ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit last year after state officials denied the request but allowed a menorah and a “holiday tree” to be displayed.  The parties settled the suit, allowing Ron Wesselius to display a nativity scene on behalf of citizens who celebrate Christmas.   “It’s incredible to think that Americans have to think twice about whether it is OK to celebrate Christmas in public,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Byron Babione.  “Just as it is constitutional for officials to display a menorah and a holiday tree, it is also constitutional to include a nativity scene.  We are pleased that the settlement will allow for a nativity scene in the rotunda this year.”

A copy of the settlement filed Tuesday at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Tacoma in the case Wesselius v. DeShaw is available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/WesseliusSettlement.pdf.   “Ninety-five percent of Americans celebrate Christmas,” Babione said.  “In light of that fact, the inclusion of a nativity scene by a private citizen is entirely appropriate.  More importantly, it does not violate any facet of the law.”

“In fact, the state capitol rotunda is open for displays and exhibits during the holiday season.  The state cannot bar a Christmas nativity because of its religious viewpoint and allow other displays like a menorah and ‘holiday tree,’” Babione added.   ADF attorneys filed the lawsuit with a motion for a temporary restraining order in December (www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=3965).   ADF is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.  www.telladf.org

[nmh]

Very good news!

Thank you for posting this. I would never have known.

Just wish we had sme consistency ... could this be the start of that?

[Publius]

Please ping the chapter.

[Ladysmith]

http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/main/default.aspx

Other common sense decisions above.

[Neoliberalnot]

I have made a couple of donations to the only organization on the planet that has the legal means to fight the ACLU, the muslims, and the atheists. ADF is about the only way we have to fight such bigotry.

[icwhatudo]

“Just as it is constitutional for officials to display a menorah and a holiday tree, it is also constitutional to include a nativity scene. We are pleased that the settlement will allow for a nativity scene in the rotunda this year.”

What the heck is a "holiday" tree?

[Star Traveler]

It’s a “non-Christmas” tree...

[sionnsar]

Thanks to Publius for the ping.

Say WA? Evergreen State ping

FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.

Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.