City reverses 'religious art' ban
Painter contributed scenes of everyday life for Black History Month
Posted: February 17, 20065:00 p.m. Eastern

Just hours after being served with a lawsuit, a Florida town today reversed its decision to censor an artist's paintings from a Black History Month display at City Hall because they were deemed religious.

Lloyd Marcus filed the lawsuit this morning in federal district court after the city of Deltona refused to respond to a letter from the public-interest legal group Liberty Counsel demanding the paintings be reposted.

Letters were sent to Mayor Dennis Mulder and acting City Manager L. Roland Blossom.
The city had allowed its employees and local citizens to display artwork to celebrate Black History Month, but Blossom ordered Marcus' paintings removed because of their religious viewpoint. The rest