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Portraits removed after 50 years in Anna school

BY CALEB HALE
THE SOUTHERN

Tuesday, September 20, 2005 7:00 AM CDT

ANNA - Fifty years perched in the entrance foyer of the Anna Junior High School was not enough to keep three religious pictures from coming down at the first hint of legal trouble.

School officials have removed a reproduction of Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" and two portraits of Jesus Christ after a complaint from a national civil liberties group, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, that the images should not be displayed in a public school. Custodians have moved the pictures - one of which had been a gift from the local Business and Professional Women's Club - into storage.

Superintendent Bob O'Dell said officials knew the presence of the pictures was technically illegal when an anonymous note about them landed in the regional superintendent's office earlier this year. The regional superintendent also was aware of the pictures, but O'Dell said no one took action because the note did not ask the school to remove the pictures and the consensus from the school board seemed to lean toward leaving them in place.

"Those pictures have been up there 50 years at least. We basically did nothing with it," O'Dell said. "We felt the community wanted those pictures to be there."

In July the school received a letter from Americans United, based in Washington, D.C., threatening legal action against the district. O'Dell said the letter stated the presence of the pictures in the school was "grossly unconstitutional." The group asked the school to take down the pictures.

After consulting both the school's attorneys and those with the Christian Alliance Defense Fund, officials admitted they didn't have much of a case.

"Our legal counsel advised us we didn't have a choice," O'Dell said. "Their advice was it be taken down."

Fighting Americans United, he added, would have been an expensive and ultimately failed battle.

O'Dell said the school may donate the pictures to other organizations. While the pictures represented a breach of constitutional law, he said many people in the district were fine with their presence. The superintendent said it's obvious someone, however, was not and contacted Americans United. The group does not have an Illinois chapter.

The Southern Illinoisan made an initial contact with Americans United for comment. No one with the group immediately followed up on the request.

The U.S. Department of Education makes all public schools aware of current Supreme Court rulings about the guidelines on religion in the system. The guidelines say while students can personally express or discuss religious views with peers in a non-disruptive manner, school officials cannot endorse or pressure students to take part in any religious activity.

caleb.hale@thesouthern.com

(618) 529-5454 x15090