Thanks to the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a house inside George Wyth State Park on Iowa state property will no longer display a lighted cross.
A local complainant reported that a large cross was affixed to the garage of a park ranger’s home inside the state park, and that it was highly visible at night from the highway and within the park.
FFRF Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote a letter on Dec. 14, 2012 to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) informing them that the cross violated the First Amendment. “While it is appropriate for the park ranger to display personal religious items inside his home, it crosses the line when he chooses to display Christian symbols on the exterior of his home,” Markert said. “The inherent religious significance of the Latin cross is undeniable and is not disguisable.”
Markert received a phone call from the Iowa DNR on Dec. 19, 2012, informing her that the park ranger had been directed to remove the cross.