Who is paying for banner legal battle | WPRI.com

CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) - The legal battle over the prayer banner hanging inside Cranston High School West has been raging for more than a year.

The lengthy process comes at a price, and now the city is being forced to foot a big chunk of the bill.

Joe Cavanaugh, a local attorney, waived his legal fees to try to keep the banner hanging.

But since a judge ruled against the school, the city owes the ACLU for its legal fees.

While police and school officials continue to investigate threats against Jessica Ahlquist, a school committee member tells The Target 12 Investigators, Cranston could owe the ACLU up to $50,000.

The ACLU is required to submit its bill within 20 days of the ruling, which brings us to the end of the month.

Mayor Allan Fung tells Eyewitness News, he expects the school department to pay that bill.

But Target 12 hears a different opinion from the school committee.

"I think this is kind of a joint venture and we need to determine who is responsible for the bill at this point," says school committee member, Frank Lombardi.

Lombardi tells Target 12 the school committee will get a legal opinion from The Becket Fund For Religious Liberty during its executive session Tuesday.

If the Washington, DC non-profit believes there's a likelihood of legal success, the school committee still has a difficult choice about what to do with the banner that remains covered in the auditorium.

Even if the city's legal fees are paid for during the appeals process, losing a case that goes to the U.S. Supreme court will greatly increase what Cranston owes the ACLU.

"And so it's hard to look at your constituents and say we're going to spend $350,000 for a possible unwinnable defense on a traditional monument in the schools," says Lombardi.

The public will not hear the details of the city's potential legal strategy Tuesday since that part of the meeting is behind closed doors.

Target 12 has learned the strategy will be debated at a yet to be scheduled special meeting as early as next week.

Source: http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/west_bay/who-is-paying-for-banner-legal-battle

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