Religious Decorations

Oklahoma City, OK: (Feb-19-08) Chris Spencer and Kenneth Buck, two employees, brought a lawsuit against the city, alleging that their religious freedoms were violated. Their suit claimed that they were told to remove religious Christmas decorations in 2007, when City Manager Jim Couch sent a memo, stating that Nativity scenes, crosses, angels, cherubs and other religious items should not be displayed in government offices in order to "maintain neutrality" and avoid promoting one religion over another. The dispute stemmed from an incident in which a supervisor told Spencer that he had to remove a religious decoration on his filing cabinet. The employees also claim the city forced the removal of a Bible from a break room and the cancellation of an annual break room Christmas party that included an opening prayer. After the filing of the suit, another memo was sent, in which Couch maintained that the policy only pertained to decorations in public spaces at city offices. Employees could have the decorations in their personal work spaces.

Sources close to the case stated that a settlement has been reached, in which the city will clarify its rules regarding the display of religious decorations in the workplace and will pay $20,000 in attorney's fees to settle the lawsuit with the two employees. [NEWS OK: RELIGIOUS DECORATIONS]

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Published on Feb-20-08