Attorney General rejects second demand to remove cross from chapel

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter on Wednesday wrote to the Washington, D.C., based Americans United for Separation of Church and State and asked the group to discontinue sending demand letters to the attorney general’s office and the state of Oklahoma.

The response from Attorney General Hunter comes after the Washington, D.C., special interest group sent a follow-up letter to the attorney general’s Solicitor General Mithun Mansinghani on Aug. 16, demanding the removal of religious icons from the Kathryn P. Boswell Memorial Chapel at East Central University in Ada.

Hunter said the empty threats by the out-of-state group to ECU and Oklahomans are without merit.

“My office will not allow an out-of-state interest group to bully the university and the state of Oklahoma,” Hunter said. “The superficial demands the group is making have no merit or legal reasoning. We absolutely reject the demand to remove the cross or other religious material or icons in the church.

“We have no desire to negotiate and ask them to conclude correspondence with the state of Oklahoma on this matter.”

Read Attorney General Hunter’s letter to Washington, D.C. based Americans United for Separation of Church and State, here: http://bit.ly/2iIlPqz.

Timeline of Events

• June 20, Washington, D.C. based Americans United for Separation of Church and State sent a letter to East Central University President Dr. Katricia Pierson, demanding the removal of all religious material from the chapel on campus. Read the letter, here: http://bit.ly/2xN7dbT.

• July 5, after discussions with state regents and university officials, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said the chapel did not violate any laws, ECU should uphold the status quo and his office would defend the university if necessary. Read Attorney General Hunter’s letter to Regional University System of Oklahoma Chairman Mark Stansberry, here: http://bit.ly/2wiGZQO.

• July 10, Solicitor General Mithun Mansinghani sent a letter to the special interest group saying all further communications regarding the chapel should be directed to the attorney general’s office. Read the letter, here: http://bit.ly/2x5g6AK.

• Aug. 16, the Washington, D.C. group sent a follow-up letter to Mansinghani making the same demands. Read the letter, here: http://bit.ly/2xxSkel.

About the Chapel

The Kathryn P. Boswell Memorial Chapel at East Central University in Ada opened to all faiths in 1957. The chapel was a gift from S.C. Boswell in memory of his wife. Since opening, it has been used by numerous religious groups and clubs on campus, as well as for weddings and other events.