The City of San Diego was the target of a lawsuit on May 31, 1989 charging that the presence of the cross violated the California Constitution and the first amendment of the United States Constitution relating to separation of church and state in the United States.
The City of San Diego faced a lawsuit on May 31, 1989, arguing that the presence of the cross conflicted with the California Constitution and the U.S. Constitution's principle of separating church and state.