Senior Housing Facility Orders Wings
Cut from Angel on Christmas Tree
Housing Facility Faces Possible Lawsuit for Religious Discrimination
Orlando,
FL – Seniors living in an Orlando area retirement home are
facing blatant religious discrimination because of censorship of
Christmas in their homes. Liberty Counsel is intervening to defend
the religious freedom of residents, and faxed a demand
letter to the Orlando Cloisters.
The
management at an Orlando area retirement home, Orlando Cloisters,
issued a directive to strip the common areas of any religious symbols
or words in Christmas displays. At the management’s direction,
an employee at Orlando Cloisters cut the wings off the angel that
was on top of the Christmas tree. Later, the angel was replaced
with a Santa Claus. Angels were also removed from a display by the
elevator in a hallway on one of the residence floors.
The
management issued a directive to the residents explaining that “Christmas
trees, Santa Claus, wreaths, Hanukah Menorahs and ‘Seasons
Greetings’ are all acceptable, as these items are not considered
religious symbols.” Menorahs are indeed, religious symbols.
The
Federal Fair Housing Act protects people against discrimination
in housing, including religious discrimination. The retirement home
cannot legally censor out the Christian aspects of the Christmas
holiday.
Anita
Staver, President of Liberty Counsel, commented, “I am astounded
that the management would show disregard for the residents’
religious beliefs by cutting the wings off an angel on their Christmas
tree! The management of Orlando Cloisters has sent a clear message
that Christians are not welcome. I have great compassion for the
elderly and cannot stand to see any of them deprived of the joy
of Christmas.”
Staver
continued: “We will call upon the federal government to issue
Christmas guidelines designed to prevent religious discrimination
that often occurs in senior living facilities. If Christmas is censored
from these precious ones, we all lose a piece of our religious freedom.”
