Posted on 05/18/2005 4:53:35 PM PDT by Ellesu
Teachers and administrators in Tangipahoa Parish continue to violate a court-imposed school prayer ban, according to the ACLU, which Wednesday asked a federal judge to send them to jail. For the fourth time in less than two months, the ACLU has formally notified the judge that school officials are flouting the prayer ban, imposed to settle a lawsuit the civil liberties group filed for a parent in 2003.
This time, the group says, an elementary school teacher in Tangipahoa Parish repeatedly held prayers in her fourth grade class, encouraged students to bring their Bibles to school, held Bible study classes in the cafeteria of D.C. Reeves Elementary School and admonished students who didn't show up for the class.
In addition, the ACLU cites a prayer it says was recently given at Amite High School, over a loudspeaker, at an awards banquet. The prayer ended with the words "In Jesus' name we pray," violating the ban; the principal of the school sat silently by.
Wednesday's filing is the latest skirmish in a decade-long battle between the ACLU here and school authorities in the rural parish north of Lake Pontchartrain over the place of religion in the classroom. The group contends parish school officials systematically flout the Constitution's Establishment Clause forbidding the mixing of government and religion.
Court decisions have repeatedly favored the civil liberties group, including the two latest ones -- a 2004 prayer ban in the schools and a February decision by U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan banning prayer before school board meetings. The school board Tuesday night pressed on with its appeal of that decision, announcing the addition of a national Christian-oriented legal group to its team, the Alliance Defense Fund.
At the same time it warned school employees against flouting the court prayer ban. That warning preceded by hours, however, the ACLU's latest contention that some in Tangipahoa continue to ignore the court's orders.
"The consent judgment is repeatedly violated by these individuals because they do not believe anything will happen to them," the ACLU said in its Wednesday court filing. "Their refusal to comply with the consent decree should and must result in their removal from society."
Under the agreement, no "invocations by students to the student body over the school's public address system, during assemblies or at any school sponsored event" are allowed.
A lawyer for the school board said the latest allegations would be "thoroughly investigated" and "disciplinary actions" would be taken if they hold up.
No. The judges impose, the parent just provides the excuse.
To be accurate, you would not be ignoring the ACLU, but ignoring a court order. The ACLU in itself is not the problem. It's the government and the insistence of avoiding even a hint of government favorability to religion (let alone an 'establishment' of religion) over and above the protection of the free exercise of religion.
...but illegal aliens should go free.
***
And child molesters...don't forget them.
I have to work harder to keep up with all the new rules!
"That's good, but if you attack their funding and counter sue them with big time lawyers with lots of resources each and every time they get crazy they will fade into the woodwork."
Yes, DEFY and COUNTER-SUE! Class actions! Tie-up the Basturds in Appeals Court! Blast their propaganda. Blitz letters to the government re: Funding, and (heh!) force the the Media to cover our protests! Protest the "ACLU Communist Party." The ACLU members are trained bullys and neurotic brats! UnAmerican and UnCivil Union against American! BLOG the hell out of them. Educate the community.
I'm angry as hell! Whew...
"I think that a taste of civil disobedience will and total defiance of the ACLU judgments is far past due. Amen."
Amen...So be it...
"Yes, defiance.....organized defiance.... is the way to go about it. Let Americans see pictures being broadcast over Fox of innocent Americans be hauled off to jail because of prayer even as sadomasochistic pedophiles walk freely amongst us raping and killing children."
Right on! Organized, rational with the cool-heat of conviction.
"I don't like the generic term ACLU. What is the name of the person who filed these charges? Who is the ACLU lawyer defending the charges? Maybe when the community learns of the names of these goofballs, they will be ostracized and maybe even castrated!!!!!"
***ACLU is the equivalent to the KBG and the GESTAPO. Can you imagine! ACLU members monitored the Minutemen at the borders! DISGUSTING! Especially because the ACLU backs Anti-American "Peace" Protests. The ACLU engineers riots to give weight to their false claims that America is a "police state".
You have a good idea - name/expose the names! BTW, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg is a former ACLU attorney. How many of our politicians, many of whom have law degrees and legal experience, worked for the ACLU? How many judges?
We need full disclosures. Needless to say, I would never vote for anyone associated with the ACLU. Accuse me of making a "guilt by association" or "discrimination" - YEP! MY right.
The liberal mantra - if you tell a lie enough, people start believing it.
In this case - it's just proof that the courts are not always right.
The closest thing to truth MIGHT be something like this:
"We missed you in class."
DING DING DING!!! We have a WINNER!!!!!!!
The #1 issue that got the ball rolling as far as the downfall of public schools, was the growing influence of outside sources on LOCAL schools. IT use to be up to the local people what they wanted their kids to learn. People had a lot more interest (and investment in) their local schools. But then Big Brother government (both state and then Federal) stepped in and have destroyed the public schools.
Who pays the vast majority of the cost of local schools? Who's kids go to those schools? Who should make such decisions as this for the same schools. That should be enough right there.
OF course - what really keeps getting overlooked in these debates - the fact that our own FEDERAL GOVERNMENT back in the earliest days of our country actually bought thousands of Bibles for use as TEXTBOOKS in PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I don't guess our founding fathers had a problem with the use of the Bible in school. And I honestly believe that most of those guys were FAR more intelligent and caring about this country (seeing as how many of them paid in blood for the US) than ANYONE in our Federal Government today.
OK - I'll step off my soapbox for now. The Preacher is coming out again.
I'm glad you are angry as hell. That's what it takes. There are way too many out there that are not angry as hell. Keep up the good work.
Remember how the Red Army troops refused their orders to open fire on Yeltsin and the protesters in Moscow? Thus began the revolution. Mayhaps if our Federal Marshalls would also reject lawless orders...disempowering a judicial establishment which continues to encroach on executive as well as legislative power...the entire edifice of their power-grab would come crashing down.
Let's pray for their courage.
"I'm glad you are angry as hell. That's what it takes. There are way too many out there that are not angry as hell. Keep up the good work."
The "STAND" begins with grass roots activism - person to person; people to people. Facts nor slurs; reason not zealousness. Facts and reason garnished with outrage.
Apathy is hell.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
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