Battle over Virgin Mary painting at trailer park goes to higher authority…
An 85-year-old Bradenton woman refuses to take down a painting of the Virgin Mary at her mobile home park after management threatens to do it for her.
http://archive.today/2019.01.21-003544/https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/article224745285.html
A legal battle is brewing over a portrait of the Virgin Mary an 85-year-old devout Catholic woman had commissioned to replace a window on her Bradenton mobile home. Attorneys representing Bradenton Tropical Palms' board of directors have filed paperwork announcing that Millie Francis "has been sued in this proceeding," with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes. In the filed documents, park management states Francis going to the media is a, "ploy to garner media coverage and religious groups in an effort to avoid compliance. Attorneys representing Tropical Palms mobile home park in Bradenton are following through with a threat of legal action if resident Millie Francis continues to refuse to remove a painting of the Virgin Mary in front of her mobile home.
At the heart of the issue is whether the management of Tropical Palms is singling out Francis specifically for the subject matter of the painting. Management insists that the demand to remove the painting have nothing to do with religion and that Francis simply didn't follow through on park rules pertaining to the replacement of her front window. "This is pointed out solely to rebut the fact that (Francis) has attempted to turn the enforcement matter into an alleged discriminatory action by the board, when in fact, that allegation could not be further from the truth," the documents state.
The attorneys representing the park's board of directors are Bryan Levine and Jessica Knox, of Palm Harbor. Artist Ingrid Brandt was commissioned to do the painting and said as a commissioned artist, her work is protected under Florida law, ensuring that it can't be destroyed or damaged. Attorneys representing Tropical Palms mobile home park in Bradenton are following through with a threat of legal action if resident Millie Francis continues to refuse to remove a painting of the Virgin Mary in front of her mobile home. The legal threats are taking a toll on Francis and the documents are full of legal language difficult for her to follow, but she has help. He's a volunteer mediator with the Los Angeles Superior Court and is trying to find common ground between the two sides. "For an 85-year-old woman, this process is intimidating at best," Pagliassotti said, noting concerns for Francis' health.