A Florida couple loses their three-year battle to place a miniature white cross on their front lawn.
In 2019, Wayne and Bonnie Anderson were ordered by the housing association to remove their “lawn ornament.” The order came after community officials began receiving anonymous complaints.
The couple has challenged the association for nearly three years. The Andersons argued that the order violated their rights under the Florida Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The couple has been ticketed for thousands of dollars for refusing to remove the cross. They claim they’re being targeted for “selective enforcement,” and other lawn ornaments weren’t disturbed.
However, Judge Michelle Morley ruled in favor of the local Community Development District 8. Judge Morley’s ruling came after the body argued that local rules explicitly prohibit “lawn ornaments.”
Several board members and judges say that the removal of the cross doesn’t qualify as a “substantial” burden. They also state that the rules are clear regarding lawn ornaments.
In 2020, Wayne Anderson called the order “absurd.”
“We’ve got a pandemic going on, and The Villages is obsessed with ripping crosses out of our yards,” he said. “This is insanity.”
The Andersons now has 30 days to challenge the ruling.
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