The 13-foot bronze and granite statue, located in Schenley Park, has been the subject of controversy in recent years. In October 2020, the Pittsburgh Art Commission voted to remove the statue, citing its connection to Christopher Columbus’s history of enslaving Indigenous people and imposing harsh punishments. Then-mayor Bill Peduto also recommended its removal. However, the Italian Sons and Daughters of America filed a lawsuit, arguing that the mayor could not override a 1955 city council ordinance that cleared the way for the statue’s installation. The group also argued that the statue represents government speech and is therefore protected by the First Amendment. The Commonwealth Court rejected the group’s challenge to Judge McVay’s refusal to remove himself from the case. However, it did rule that the group’s claims of charter, code, and ordinance violations were not irrelevant and sent the case back to the lower court for further consideration. George Bochetto, the attorney representing the group, hailed the ruling and called on the new mayor to work towards a resolution to the dispute. The city of Pittsburgh has not yet commented on the ruling. The controversy over Columbus statues has played out in other cities across the nation. Philadelphia removed its statue of Columbus in 2020, but a judge later reversed the decision. In Richmond, Virginia, a statue of Columbus was torn down, set on fire, and thrown into a lake, while in Columbia, South Carolina, a statue of the explorer was removed after it was vandalized multiple times.
Pennsylvania Court Upholds Challenge to Pittsburgh’s Columbus Statue Removal
