Overview
- The Supreme Judicial Court unanimously upheld a preliminary injunction on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, that prevents Quincy from installing two 10‑foot bronze statues on its new public safety building.
- The court agreed with Norfolk Superior Court Judge William F. Sullivan that the city’s stated secular purpose was suspect and that the figures are closely associated with the Catholic faith.
- The commissioned works depict St. Michael and St. Florian, cost about $850,000 with at least $761,378.75 already spent by January 2025, and remain in storage in Randolph while litigation continues.
- Quincy residents represented by the ACLU of Massachusetts, Americans United and the Freedom From Religion Foundation won recognition of taxpayer standing and persuaded the court there is a reasonable likelihood their constitutional claim will succeed.
- The case returns to Norfolk Superior Court for a final decision, a ruling that could make much of the city’s spending unrecoverable and that officials say they will continue to contest in court.