Posted on 12/16/2025 7:54:15 AM PST by Angelino97
The attempt to discriminate against Christians at a cooperative apartment complex in Westchester County, New York failed. Those who run the cooperative allowed the display of a menorah in the common area, but not a nativity scene. They failed because we intervened.
What makes this story so bizarre is that the same issue took place last Christmas, and in the same building in Larchmont, New York! The only difference is that the building management company is new and the resident who complained is new. But the facts are the same.
I wrote to the new Property Manager company, recounting the story from last year. I said the display of a menorah was “commendable.” But I hastened to add, “What is not commendable is the refusal to display a nativity scene. Indeed, it is illegal.”
My letter was dated December 10 and we gave them until December 15 to either display the nativity scene, along with the menorah, or take down the menorah. The letter was emailed to them on the morning of December 10 (and sent in the overnight mail) and that very afternoon they removed the menorah, and a Christmas tree.
They could have settled this issue by simply displaying the crèche, but their idea of neutrality was to ban both the menorah and the manger scene. We prefer the tolerant alternative; they prefer the intolerant option.
“The menorah, like the crèche,” I wrote, “is a religious symbol; the Christmas tree is a secular symbol. This is not my opinion—this is the interpretation afforded by the U.S. Supreme Court. So you can either allow all religious symbols to be displayed, or you can deny both of them: You cannot chose one and deny the other.”
Ironically, it was last year’s confrontation with a different management group that ran this cooperative that led us to contact over 2,000 Homeowners Associations (HOA) in November, alerting them to the religious rights of their residents. We never thought we would have to swing into action again to stop discrimination against Christians in the same cooperative.
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 makes it clear that if one religious symbol is displayed in a common area, others must also be allowed. Supreme Court decisions on the display of religious symbols on public property are also accommodating. This is a serious religious liberty issue.
It is a sad commentary on the co-op board of this property that they thought they could get away with their bigoted stunt two years in a row. But their determination to discriminate was met with our equally determined decision to stop them.
So why not suggest that since there’s a menorah displayed can we also display a crèche? Too late now unless a Jew complains about the removed menorah.
Our town has a Creche every year at the main intersection and carries a small sign that it is owned and displayed by a private group. The small plot has a Civil War Statue and was owned by the GAR, then the Sons of Union Veterans. It has been up every year since my childhood without damage to the life-sized people and animals. The other corners display a large Santa; a Santa, sleigh and reindeer in the air; and the last Christmas trees.
Ah, that's exactly what the Catholic League did suggest.
But the HOA decided to pull the menorah rather than add a crèche.
I guess they found the crèche too offensive.
✅✝️⚖️
Didn’t realize that Dollar Bill Donahue was still around - thought his Catholic League Scam would have caught up with him by now.
Glad your town isn’t like this!
Rehoboth [Beach, DE] officials say no to nativity scene [at bandstand next to boardwalk]
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3711554/posts
Seems to me that Bill Donahue is doing good work.
BOTH are important.
Yes, but the HOA didn’t want the creche. They’d rather have neither than both.
Is the cooperative private?
It might be evil, wrong, perverted and dumb to allow the placement of a Wiccan Altar and not a Christian one, but it is their private property.
But I may misunderstand. Will read further ...
I don’t know law well enough to know whether private property rights allow the co-op to do whatever they want, or if some Federal Law intervenes to disallow their private decision.
Anyone have a good read on that?
“The Fair Housing Act of 1968 makes it clear that if one religious symbol is displayed in a common area, others must also be allowed. “
That is wrong and should be made illegal.
If Christians in the building are in the numerical majority, no other religious symbols should be displayed. Our country was founded on Christian principles and for the progeny of Christians, not for the progeny of some other groups.
Strange HOA, indeed, it seems to me.
After all, aren’t they now in violation of the Fair Housing Act? Just curious…👀
I’m sure they would be OK with an ISIS themed beheading scene.
Dollar Bill is for Dollar Bill - look up some of his questionable activity
The HOA forbid a creche but permitted a menorah.
So no, they would not be OK with an ISIS themed beheading scene.
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