Judge Bans Irreverent Billboards on Church Building

By Diane Smith
14:30, July 10th 2007
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A New York judge has temporarily banned the exposure of billboards showing nudity near Times Square, after a minister from a nearby church complained of their irreverence.

Rev. Neil Rhodes, pastor of the interdenominational Times Square Church, complained that the placing of billboards advertising a new bidet on the building housing his church in Broadway’s theater district would interfere with the church’s mission.

The billboard ads for Washlet, a toilet and bidet sold by Toto, feature naked buttocks with smiley faces. State Supreme Court Justice Marcy Friedman ordered the temporary restraining order against raising the billboards Monday.

Friedman ordered the reverend to and the church to post a $90,000 bond pending a decision to be made during as meeting between the parties. If the court determines the church was not entitled to an injunction, Friedman explained, the bond would go to the defendants for damages and costs.

The ads would have been displayed on two sides of the Broadway building housing Rhodes’ church as well as its Bible school and day-care center.

Van Wagner Communications is the advertising company. One of its lawyers, Adam Silverstein, has said that he does not wish to trivialize the reverend’s concerns and added, “this is Times Square.”



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