The Lea County Atheists and its founder, Jeremy Wood, want the Ten Commandments removed from Hobbs City Hall.
“I came and spoke to the Hobbs city commission about taking down the illegal monument here, the Ten Commandments monument,” said Wood.
The monument has been outside city hall for years, but Wood said it’s time to take it down.
“It violates the establishment clause as defined when the Supreme Court incorporated the establishment clause,” Wood said.
In past months, New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs officially announced any religious items could only be shown in private. This came after the college was contacted by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
“In public and in public view we did ask them to be removed,” said Susan Fine, a spokeswoman for New Mexico Junior College.
Hobbs city commissioner Garry Buie was surprised.
“We are a small community, very conservative,” said Buie who believed a possible lawsuit could be on the way.
Wood said that a lawsuit is definitely an option, and getting a larger group like the Freedom From Religion Foundation involved would be, for him, a big benefit.
“I hope the FFRF gets involved if that is something they want to do,” said Wood.
Currently, the city said its legal department will review all the facts on the situation.
