Cast into the heart of a nationwide controversy over the constitutionality of religious symbols in public areas, three members of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments Tuesday regarding a lawsuit challenging a decision to remove the cross from Los Angeles County's official seal.
The cross had been part of the county seal since 1957 but after the American Civil Liberties Union threatened a lawsuit, the Board of Supervisors voted in 2004 to change the seal.
The move set off a firestorm of protest and the Thomas More Law Center filed a lawsuit against the county on behalf of county Department of Public Works employee Ernesto R. Vasquez, alleging that the decision violated the Constitution by conveying a state-sponsored message of disapproval of and hostility toward Christianity.
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But Senior Deputy County Counsel Jennifer Lehman argued that Vasquez does not have the right to dictate - through litigation - what historical or cultural symbols the county places on its seal.
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"I don't think a reasonable observer would see replacing a Christian cross with a mission as a message of hostility toward Christians," Lehman said.
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_4508561