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Earlier this year, Veterans Administration hospitals were accused of covering up how long their patients wait for care by keeping a secret waiting list designed to hide problems.

Now Veterans Administration hospitals are being accused of a cover up that's less potentially lethal: hiding religious symbols, like crucifixes, in their chapels as a way to achieve religious neutrality.

Just as the earlier coverup provoked congressional inquiries, the religious symbol coverup has prompted Bowling Green Republican Rep. Bob Latta to inquire about VA policies on religious neutrality and religious freedom.

After reports that a VA hospital chapel in Michigan put curtains around its Christian religious icons to comply with a nationwide policy that requires chapels in VA medical centers to remain "religiously neutral, reflecting no particular faith tradition" when not in use for services, Latta and 22 of his colleagues sent Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson a letter seeking an explanation.

"We have recently received reports that there are renewed efforts underway to certify compliance with this 'religious neutrality' policy in VA chapels," Latta's letter says. "In light of this development, we write today to inquire about the origin and implementation of this policy."

The letter asks when the VA first put the policy in its handbook, whether it has developed and publicized uniform public standards on "what constitutes religious neutrality in its medical center chapels," and how the presence of religious symbols or furnishings infringe on those who don't identify with the symbols in question.

"Many individuals use our VA chapels for meditation and worship and as a place to go when in search of solace and comfort," said a statement issued by Latta. "They should unquestionably remain open and accessible to all religious beliefs and faith, and patrons should be able to attend without discrimination. Our letter urges the VA to take the necessary steps to ensure its medical center chapels are open and accommodating to all those seeking to exercise their religious freedoms."

The Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center has no permanent religious symbols in its nondenominational chapel that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so it hasn't covered up anything to comply with the policy, a VA spokeswoman said.

VA spokeswoman Melanie Fisher says the Cleveland VA medical center has chapel staff on call around the clock "to provide spiritual care to all Veterans and their families," as well as spiritual care providers of "faith traditions not represented by medical center chaplain staff" who are available when needed.

"To date, we have not received any complaints regarding the practices of our chapel," said Fisher.

Latta's office says it has not received complaints of religious symbols being covered in Ohio veterans facilities, and Sloan has not yet replied to Latta's July 11 letter.

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