Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) filed a motion on Monday asking Allegheny Common Pleas Judge John T. McVay to recuse himself from hearing a lawsuit that was filed to block the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in Schenley Park.
ISDA filed the suit last month against Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and the city’s Art Commission, after they approved the removal of the statue.
Basil M. Russo, President of ISDA — and our legal team, led by attorney George Bochetto — contend Judge McVay showed bias when he released a memorandum that described the so-called character flaws of Columbus’s legacy.
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“A judge is required to not only remain unbiased but also avoid even the mere appearance of bias,” the 112-page filing reads, in part. “Here, Judge McVay’s order attempts to give defendants the moral high ground by referencing what he believes to be the accurate historical precedent and, consequently, instructing the parties as to how settlement discussions should proceed based on that biased view.”
In Judge McVay’s order, issued Oct. 30, he writes “history taught in the United States has been from a nationalistic and Eurocentric perspective” and noted statues such as those of Columbus, Confederate generals and other historic figures “are no longer deemed appropriate in our contemporary nation trying to heal the issue of racial divide, ultimately inflamed by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.”
With this order, Judge McVay is erroneously linking the legacy of Christopher Columbus with racism, discrimination and slavery, and he’s attempting to contextualize the lawsuit with patently false accusations against Columbus.
Judge McVay also asked that Mayor Peduto, the Pittsburgh Art Commission and ISDA come together to resolve the removal issue, but such a resolution cannot take place until McVay recuses himself.
A virtual status conference in the case will be held at 1 p.m. this Friday.
Our History
Columbus Day has become synonymous with Italian Heritage Day, the time when we remember the sacrifices made by our parents and grandparents, and the contributions Italian Americans have made in the U.S.
The time-honored Columbus Day parades began in the late 1800s as Italian immigrants attempted to create a sense of self-esteem and dignity during a period where they were subjected to lynchings, bigotry and prejudice throughout the country.
Columbus’s journey launched 500 years of immigration to America, attracting peoples from throughout the world seeking a better life for their families — this is the spirit we champion and are fighting to preserve, and this is what the Columbus statues stand for.
Our Stance
The Italian-American community has always supported the designation of an Indigenous Peoples Day as it is most rightly and most justly deserved.
What we don’t support is the agenda of those who want to rewrite our history, and in the process, diminish our traditions by targeting the 15th century explorer.
Make the pledge and become a member of Italian Sons and Daughters of America today.
(Photo credit: Piotrus)
