A group of residents has filed a lawsuit in state court seeking the removal of a large Ten Commandments monument from the grounds of the Jefferson County Courthouse, arguing it violates the Illinois Constitution’s requirement for separation of church and state.
The nearly seven-foot-tall monument was originally installed in 2023 inside the courthouse lobby by Sheriff Jeff Bullard. It was later relocated outside, near the main entrance of the courthouse.
The plaintiffs, represented by the ACLU of Illinois and the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), filed the complaint in the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Jefferson County on June 5. The lawsuit alleges that the monument’s presence on government property gives the impression that the county endorses a specific set of religious beliefs.
“This display clearly communicates governmental preference for a particular religious viewpoint,” the ACLU said in a statement. “That is both inappropriate and unconstitutional under Illinois law.”
The lawsuit also claims that public funds were used to move the monument from inside the courthouse to its current outdoor location. Sheriff Bullard has previously stated that the original placement of the monument was privately funded.
Despite warnings from legal experts and advocacy groups, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners voted to allow the monument to remain on courthouse property, a decision that helped trigger the legal challenge.
Neither Sheriff Bullard nor the county board has publicly commented on the lawsuit as of Wednesday.
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