NEWS

Candidates take sides on billboard issue

Spencer Remoquillo
Reporter

LANCASTER - Fairfield County Prosecutor Gregg Marx threw his support behind the firefighters reprimanded for placing a "Merry Christmas" billboard, taking a shot at his political opponent in the process.

On Monday, Marx asked the Lancaster City Law Director's Office to change its position on the issue, saying the billboard does not violate the U.S. Constitution.

"I’m quite familiar with the First Amendment, and I’m sure that it doesn’t prevent these firefighters from using their own money to say ‘Merry Christmas’ on a billboard,” Marx said. “Liberals have so badly twisted the First Amendment that some misguided people think that government workers can’t express their personal religious views. That’s just wrong.”

This photograph of some members of Lancaster Fire Department's Crew 3 resulted in suspensions or reprimands for all of the city employees who took part. The photograph was taken on a day the crew was scheduled to be on duty. It was taken at Lancaster Fire Station 1 using one of the city's fire trucks.

Lancaster Law Director Randall Ullom called Lancaster Fire Chief Dave Ward's attention to the billboard as it was done without authorization on city time using city assets. Ullom also wrote in a letter to Ward that the holiday greeting was in violation of the city's rules and policies and created a "civil liability for the city," expressing religious favoritism and partiality. The billboard was removed Dec. 15.

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Marx said if he were approached about the issue, he would advise that the First Amendment protects religious freedom and that people of any faith have the right to express that religion without government recourse. Marx, who is running as a Republican in the upcoming primary election against fellow Republican Kyle Witt, critiqued Witt for remaining silent in the matter.

Witt works under Ullom in the City Law Director's Office and City Prosecutor's Office.

“If Kyle Witt had any conservative core values, he would publicly support these firefighters and stop the Law Director’s office from enforcing its wrongheaded opinion," Marx said in a news release. "Kyle Witt’s silence on religious freedom is music to the ears of atheists and opponents of faith.”

Witt responded to Marx's response, noting the "hypocrisy" in his statements.

“A year ago Marx demanded the resignation of one of his attorneys and slapped her with a gag order to silence her from making disparaging remarks about him. And now he claims the moral high ground on free speech? The hypocrisy is unbelievable,” Witt wrote in response. “Unlike my opponent, I have used my position as a prosecutor to do what is right, to give a voice to victims of crime and partner with our first responders to make our communities safer.

“And as for my conservative Christian values, I’d be happy to have that discussion with my opponent or anyone on Sunday mornings at the Lancaster First United Methodist Church.”

Marx said Witt's statement involving the former attorney's resignation was not true. However, the Eagle-Gazette obtained a personnel file with a letter from Marx asking an employee, who submitted a 90-day termination notice in August 2014, not to speak about the circumstances leading to her resignation or even that she resigned. Marx rescinded that request to the employee about a month later.

sremoquill@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4342

Twitter: @SpencerRemo