Demand To Remove Ten Commandments Is Frivolous

GRAND RAPIDS, MN – A new $75 million jail recently completed in Itasca County, Minnesota has sparked backlash from some residents for having a two-story mural of the Ten Commandments in the facility’s gym, as well as other motivational statements on faith and governance throughout the jail. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is pressuring county administrators to remove the displays, falsely claiming they violate the First Amendment Establishment Clause.

“The message to county officials is simple: Repaint and repent,” the FFRF stated in a press release. The FFRF then demanded the county apologize to its constituents “for wasting money on two paint jobs.”

FFRF also sent a letter to county officials stating Itasca County’s religious displays violate “government neutrality” on religion and are unconstitutional. Notably, in the letter, the FFRF cites now outdated and invalid cases involving the recently overruled “Lemon Test,” which had been used by Courts to interpret government overreach into religion and remove religious displays from government buildings. However, the U.S. Supreme Court terminated that test in 2022 and has allowed expressions of faith on government property.