Quincy Residents Sue Over $850,000 Saint Statues at City HQ
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 10
Quincy Residents Sue Over $850,000 Saint Statues at City HQ
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 10
Summary
$850,000 in city-funded bronze statues of St. Michael and St. Florian at Quincy's new police and fire headquarters triggered a lawsuit by a dozen residents backed by the ACLU.
Mayor Thomas Koch commissioned the 10-foot statues from an artist in Italy without seeking voter approval, framing them as patron saints of emergency responders.
200 residents protested at a City Council meeting after the plan became public, more than 1,500 signed an online petition, and 19 local clergy members warned the display favored one faith.
The fight has become a flashpoint for frustration with Koch, mayor since 2008, in a city of about 100,000 whose population has grown far more diverse in recent decades.