A group of local residents filed suit Monday seeking to remove a nearly seven-foot-tall Ten Commandments monument from the lawn of the Jefferson County Courthouse.
Originally placed in the courthouse lobby last year by Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Bullard, the monument was later moved to the lawn immediately outside the Courthouse entrance. While Sheriff Bullard claimed that the original display was funded by private donations, the lawsuit alleges he used public dollars to relocate the monument to its current outdoor location, where it is unavoidable for anyone who enters or passes by the courthouse.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, and the ACLU of Illinois assert the monument violates the Illinois Constitution’s protections for the separation of church and state.
The lawsuit comes after the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners voted to retain the monument on county property, ignoring warnings from the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the county’s own attorney that the display raised serious legal concerns.
A copy of the filed petition is available here.
