Atheists in Roselle Park, New Jersey, are upset over the presence of a cross displayed at a public library and want it removed, in spite of United States Supreme Court precedent.

Rosalie Park Mayor Carl Hokanson bought a statue with a soldier kneeling at the grave of a soldier with a cross at the side and had it displayed, but the American Humanist Association (AHA) has filed a lawsuit in federal court to have it removed. The atheist organization alleges that the display favors one religion over another – which it argues is in violation of the Constitution.

First Liberty Institute Attorney Roger Byron told OneNewsNow that the state erected at the Veterans Memorial Public Library in Roselle Park is amidst numerous others that also commemorate patriotism and service.

“There are many, many displays to veterans, including a large statue, large flags, yellow ribbons in various places, stands that honor all six of the military services in the United States, and then in the library itself are many, many displays honoring veterans,” Byron explained.

It is a well-known fact that the statue with the cross is just one of many items honoring veterans, yet it is contended that the plaintiffs have apparently not been well informed on the standing court precedent.

“Well, in 2010, the Supreme Court explained that a cross used as a veterans memorial conveys a secular message of military honor and sacrifice, and in fact, removing the memorial because it has a cross would demonstrate the very hostility toward religion that the First Amendment forbids,” Byron argued.

First Liberty Institute has already reached out to Roselle Park to offer its legal services to defend the city against the lawsuit filed on behalf of City Council member Charlene Storey and her husband Gregory Storey.