Following a year of correspondence with Providence city officials, the ACLU succeeded in having removed from Roger Williams Park a large and long-standing granite monument of the Ten Commandments. The monument had been on Park property since 1963, when it was donated as part of a nationwide campaign by the Fraternal Order of Eagles.  Some Providence City Council members, however, have started a campaign to have it returned to the City.

Providence resident Greg Frazier, chair of the RI ACLU’s Church-State Committee, complained to city officials about the monument in April 2003. After investigating the matter, the City Solicitor’s office agreed that the monument should be removed from the city park. However, despite numerous follow-up letters by Frazier over the course of a year, the monument remained. After the ACLU sent a more formal demand letter to the city, officials there quickly pushed FOE representatives to move the monument to a private location.

Two City Council members have introduced a resolution asking City leaders to “cause the return” of the monument to the Park. A copy of the ACLU’s letter criticizing the resolution can be found here.