GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (AP) - A judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a city's decision to convert a cross into an anchor on a hill overlooking the Grand River in western Michigan.
Ottawa County Judge Jon Hulsing says a group called Citizens of Grand Haven has no standing to sue because members insist on being anonymous. He said Tuesday that it conflicts with the "presumption of openness" in court matters.
The lawsuit claimed Grand Haven's decision to change the 48-foot-tall cross on city-owned Dewey Hill was religious discrimination. The vote in January was 3-2.
At that time, council member Michael Fritz said Grand Haven was a diverse community with many different religions. The Muskegon Chronicle says the cross had been displayed periodically since 1964.
Published: Thu, Jun 11, 2015
