(The Center Square) – A small-town Ohio mayor said if people had just talked to him about a proposed live nativity scene on taxpayer-owned property, a potential lawsuit and social media uproar could easily have been avoided.
In an exclusive interview with The Center Square, Pataskala Mayor Mike Compton said Thursday a live nativity scene at the city’s Veterans Green will be allowed.
Compton said the city’s law director “found a loophole,” and going forward the city will assume whatever people put on city property after they receive a permit reflects those individual beliefs, rather than the city’s.
That comes after Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy called the initial decision to deny the request “un-American” in a social media post and a Texas-based advocacy group threatened to sue.
“You don’t know the whole story,” Compton said. “Nobody from his camp reached out to me to know the whole story. It just sounds like we are blatantly against nativity scenes, which we’re not. I think it’s purely political. I’m upset he didn’t reach out to use because we get many things taken care of by phone calls.”
Susan Conley asked to have a live nativity scene on the property as part of a permit for a winter farmers market event that coincides with the city’s annual holiday celebration.
The nativity scene was initially denied.
Compton said if Conley had just walked down the hall, the uproar could have been avoided. Also, Conley had the right to appeal the denial to the city council, which she did not do.
Compton said if Conley had just walked down the hall, the uproar could have been avoided.
“If the lady who runs the farmers market just reached out to me, I would have fixed it,” said Compton, a Christian who opens council meetings with a prayer. “She has an office in the same building as City Hall, so to be blindsided by a lawsuit by somebody who runs our farmers market is pretty unfathomable.”
Compton said he also works with Conley, setting up the farmers’ market nearly every week.
Compton said a city employee automatically rejected the live nativity based on direction from the city’s law director from several years in the past, and similar requests have not been made in the city.
However, the employee did not reach out to the law director to confirm any restriction, and new case law allows for such display, Compton said.
“I think we’re going to be able to honor that request to have the nativity city. This will be good,” said Compton, who also wants to allow menorahs, Christmas trees and Kwanza displays on city property. “Things change, people change and policies change.”
The First Liberty Institute called Compton’s response misleading and said their letter threatening a suit was sent Oct 24.
“The response from the mayor is disingenuous. Ms. Conley has dealt directly with the city administrator, Tim Hickin, who is tasked with day-to-day operations of the city. He informed Ms. Conley of the city policy banning religious expression, including nativity scenes, on public property. There was never any suggestion that the mayor would or could overrule city policy,” Nate Kellum, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute, said. “Moreover, we sent a letter to the city six days ago requesting relief for Ms. Conely, allowing for the nativity, but they have yet to provide it. If the Mayor can grant the nativity, why hasn’t he done so?”
An email from Ramaswamy’s campaign in response to The Center Square included a link to a social media post late Thursday afternoon from Ramaswamy that said he spoke with Compton on Thursday and the issue was resolved.
