The Freedom from Religion Foundation, through the Indiana ACLU, filed suit in federal district court yesterday challenging the constitutionality of a life-size city-owned Nativity Scene on the lawn of the Franklin County Courthouse in Brookville, Indiana. The complaint (full text) in Freedom From Religion Foundation v. Franklin County, Indiana, (SD IN, filed 12/16/2014), (which includes a photo of the display) says that while the city also displays a series of plastic reindeer on the lawn, they are not part of the same display and are barely visible during the day when they are not lighted. Both the ACLU and FFRF have issued press releases announcing the filing of the lawsuit.
UPDATE: Under an agreement reached by the parties on Dec. 19, the Nativity Scene will remain up only until the day after Christmas, and FFRF will drop its request for a preliminary injunction. According to a press release by Thomas More Society, litigation on plaintiffs' request for a permanent injunction will now continue on a more normal time schedule.
