This FA website is the latest forum FA founder Nicholson has used to find relief for New Yorkers’ free admission rights to the Museum and 12 other City-funded park institutions founder Nicholson has employed. [see FA's Expanded Efforts section] She has spearheaded community-wide litigation and self-funded litigation – all losing out to an overall finding that the Petitioner/Plaintiff “lacked standing”. [Lacking standing is a legal term meaning that the person/entity bringing the lawsuit cannot or did not demonstrate that it or s/he would be uniquely harmed or helped by the outcome.]
Nicholson also sought relief from New York State’s Attorney General [at the time, Eric Schneiderman]. Unfortunately, the Charities Bureau of the AG’s office [the office said to have the authority to make a determination], advised FA counsel that it would “not consider the issue” of the Met Museum’s admission policy against provisions of Ch. 476 of the Laws of 1893, despite FA’s well-supported legal petition. In the wake of AG Schneiderman resigning, FA believes the time is ripe to reach out to newly-elected AG, Letitia James, to ask that she enforce Ch. 476 with respect to the Museum and the laws for the other 12 institutions on park land as noted for readers of this blog at the Expanded Efforts and Take Action sections.
In the face of FA's failed efforts, FA chose in late 2018 to launch its website to educate New Yorkers about their free access right. There is a Take Action link on this site for those of you who may want to do this, which we at FA encourage. It is we New Yorkers who are “in the driver’s seat” for real change.
This Initiative is for all of us in this great city of ours. The time is now for all of us to act by contacting our elected officials. Please also feel free to exercise your “Free Of All Charge” rights directly when visiting the Museum and/or at least make your choices based on this additional education. By acting together as a city-wide community, we live Free of All Charge as the original vision and Law(s) for this “educational campus” directed.
Please also thank yourselves as NYers for the great support you’ve given and continue to give to this treasure-filled institution. We thank you as well!
Contact Pat Nicholson with any questions or receive comments.