In July 2011, a lawsuit was filed by American lawsuits before the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, concerning the World Trade Center Cross which held at the 9/11 Museum. The atheists stated that the preservation of such an item is a violation of the First Amendment and that it does not belong in a museum funded with government support.
The atheists stated in the suit, "The challenged cross constitutes an unlawful act to promote a specific religion on government land, diminishing the civil rights, privileges or capacities of atheist Americans, agnostic Americans, Jewish Americans, Muslim Americans and others who are not Christian Americans."
The cross that is the source of this controversy is one of the many debris that was discovered after 9/11 happened in 2001. Construction workers found a crossed beam in the middle of the wreckage after the terrorist attack. The 17-foot-tall and 4,000 pound steal beam was later called the "World Trade Center Cross" and was looked upon as a symbol of hope during all the fear and chaos.
In 2011, the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation completed the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and the World Trade Center Cross was included among the items on display.
Though the recent lawsuit drew a great deal of interest from diverse groups, federal Judge Deborah Batts of the Southern District of New York expressed favor for the WTO cross. The reason behind her opinion was the historical significance of the item which was thought to outweigh religious or church-state issues.
