AUBURN – The Maine attorney general’s office is seeking an injunction against two men, alleging they violated the state’s Civil Rights Act when a cross and shroud were taken from a Livermore Falls churchyard in April.

The state filed the one-count civil lawsuit, asking the court to bar Carl Harrington II, 21, formerly of Jay, now of Auburn, and his brother, Brian Harrington, 19, of Livermore, from committing such a violation in the future.

The state is asking the court to declare that each defendant has violated the Maine Civil Rights Act, order each defendant to pay a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for the April violation, and order that they pay the state’s legal fees.

The civil suit was filed Sept. 7 in Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn.

The brothers faced criminal charges after Livermore Falls police investigated the theft of an 8-foot wooden cross, and a shroud taken from another cross, during two separate incidents at the Eaton Memorial United Methodist Church during the week before Easter.

During the investigation, police went to Carl Harrington II’s Jay apartment and discovered the cross hung sideways on a wall and used as a shelf. They found a picture of convicted murderer Charles Manson taped to it, and also found the paperback book “Raising Hell: An Encyclopedia of Devil Worship and Satanic Crime,” by Michael Newton,

Police pressed criminal charges and forwarded the case to the attorney general’s office so it could investigate possible violations of the state’s Civil Rights Act.

The state’s civil suit claims the Harringtons’ conduct constituted intentional interference, through damage or destruction, with church members’ right to religious freedom under the U.S. and state constitutions, all in violation of the Maine Civil Rights Act.

The state is asking the court to enter a permanent injunction prohibiting each of the Harringtons from:

• Interfering with the First Amendment rights of the members of the congregation of the Eaton Memorial United Methodist Church, or any other person, through damage or destruction of their personal property.

• Entering the property of the church.

• Encouraging or causing any other person to engage in conduct prohibited under First Amendment rights, or assisting any person in engaging in such action.

Carl Harrington II said during an April interview with the Sun Journal that taking the cross from the church’s lawn was wrong and was a “very foolish prank,” but the act wasn’t done to commit a hate crime against the church.

Brian Harrington said during the same interview that, “It was a dumb thing to do” and a “stupid prank that turned into more than it was supposed to be.”

Brian Harrington said Thursday that, “I think basically we learned our lesson. We know we’re not going to do it again.” He said he has had a hard time getting a job since the incident, and that his older brother lost his job and his apartment after the incident.

Both men wrote letters of apology to the church and met with pastor, the Rev. Joseph Chamberland.

Chamberland said Wednesday that that church didn’t pursue civil charges, but he was thankful the state was going through with the case because it is important to his church and for other churches.

He also said it is important to hold people accountable for their actions.

“The churches are here to serve the community, and to be threatened by violence is not good,” Chamberland said.

The minister said he and another member of the congregation met with the Harringtons and their father.

“They expressed regret for the situation, and I appreciate that,” Chamberland said.