Call off the cops: The Nativity scene that disappeared from Pittsburgh City Council’s Christmas tree has been found.
Councilwoman Darlene Harris confirmed its reappearance Thursday afternoon, saying the city clerk’s staff discovered her creche Wednesday in a cupboard in a council conference room.
“But it wasn’t there before,” Mrs. Harris said, “because my staff already checked” last week.
Mrs. Harris announced Dec. 20 that the decoration, which she put under the Christmas tree in the council lobby for 11 years, had gone missing. It belonged to her late grandmother.
In a brief interview, the councilwoman said she believes council President Bruce Kraus had someone remove the Nativity. He couldn’t be reached immediately Thursday, but Witold “Vic” Walczak, legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, has said the display breached court precedents addressing religious imagery in government buildings.
Mayor Bill Peduto echoed Mr. Walczak. The City-County Building, Downtown, accommodates both council and mayoral offices on its fifth floor.
“I have Nativity sets in my home. I have a Nativity set in my office. But I am not legally permitted to put a Nativity set outside the mayor’s office,” Mr. Peduto said Thursday. “So I think the same law applies to City Council’s office, as well. Councilwoman Harris certainly can have what she would like in her own office, but I think the courts have been pretty clear here about what’s permissible under the law.”
Mrs. Harris argued her Nativity’s presence should have been allowable, saying that the council lobby is open to any variety of spiritual or non-religious symbols during the holidays. She said the creche vanished twice since late November.
The first time around, she alleged, Mr. Kraus asked city Clerk Brenda Pree to remove it. The councilwoman attributed that detail to Ms. Pree, who said she pulled the scene after hearing a concern about religious displays and government property.
Ms. Pree has not confirmed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette whether Mr. Kraus was involved.
Mrs. Harris returned the Nativity beneath the tree. Then it disappeared again. Ms. Pree has said she did not remove the item that time; Mrs. Harris said she believes Mr. Kraus guided the second disappearance.
In a public meeting shortly before Christmas, Mrs. Harris threatened to file a police report if the wood-and-porcelain piece weren’t returned. She said Thursday she wasn’t going to get the police involved.
“But if he keeps this up, I’m going to get him for harassment,” the councilwoman said of Mr. Kraus, a longtime adversary. “I’m tired of the stupid games.”
An unnamed donor dropped off another creche amid the drama last month, Mrs. Harris has said. Her staff placed the donated display in the lobby, where it appeared to stay until the council tree came down after the holidays.
The councilwoman won’t put her creche there next Christmas, but “someone” might put up the contributed Nativity, she said.
“I’m sure [the contributor] did not donate it for it not to be part of Christmas,” Mrs. Harris said. “That anonymous donor will probably want that put there.”
Adam Smeltz: 412-263-2625, asmeltz@post-gazette.com, @asmeltz.
First Published: January 11, 2018, 7:50 p.m.