In Fitzmaurice v. City of Quincy, (MA Sup. Jud. Ct., Aug. 20, 2026), the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld a trial court's preliminary injunction barring the city of Quincy from installing two 10-foot-tall statues on the facade of a new public safety building. One statue depicts Saint Michael stepping on the head and neck of a demon. The other depicts Saint Florian towering above a burning building and extinguishing the fire. The Court concluded that there is a substantial likelihood that this violates Art. III of the Massachusetts Constitution as amended by Article XI, that provides:
all religious sects and denominations, demeaning themselves peaceably, and as good citizens of the commonwealth, shall be equally under the protection of the law; and no subordination of any one sect or denomination to another shall ever be established by law.
The Court said in part:
The contested practice here raises concerns at the core of the text, purposes, and history of the amendment of art. 3: whether the city is singling out a particular religion for special treatment....
The two statues are both of Catholic saints....: the depictions of Saint Michael and Saint Florian in these statues "are consistent with iconography of each religious figure within Catholic tradition"; and the symbols and objects depicted "are all central to the iconographies of each saint, which are not intelligible without reference to Catholic tradition." ...
The likelihood that these statues of religious figures closely associated with the Catholic faith could be viewed by the public as endorsement of a particular religion, and thus subordination of others, is enhanced by the fact that the statues are not part of a larger collection of statues and monuments that includes nonreligious ones, or statues of figures of particular importance to other religions. ...
These statues are also not long-standing historic monuments important to our common history, unlike many of the examples highlighted by the city.....
In sum, the preliminary injunction record reflects that the statues are large and will stand alone, they are brand new rather than long standing, they are closely affiliated with a particular religion, and they thus may convey to observing members of the public implicit government support for that religion and, as a result, subordination of other religions....
Americans United issued a press release announcing the decision.
