Florida couple barred from putting small cross on lawn after it’s deemed prohibited ‘lawn ornament’By Selim Algar
June 23, 2022
Heaven help them.
A Florida couple has lost their multi-year fight to place a miniature white cross on their front lawn after a housing association deemed it a prohibited “lawn ornament,” according to a report.
Wayne and Bonnie Anderson, of Tamarind Grove in The Villages, were initially ordered to remove the tiny symbol in 2019 after community officials received an anonymous complaint, Villages News reported.
The couple, whose primary home is in Wisconsin, have fought the prohibition for three years, arguing that it violates their rights under the Florida Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
But Judge Michelle Morley recently ruled in favor of the local Community Development District 8 after the body argued that local rules explicitly prohibit “lawn ornaments.”
The Andersons, who’ve been ticketed for thousands of dollars in violations for their refusal to remove the cross, assert that they’ve been targeted for “selective enforcement” and that other small lawn displays — including crosses — are left undisturbed.
* * *
Source:
https://nypost.com/2022/06/23/florida-couple-barred-from-putting-small-cross-on-lawn/
