Posted on 03/04/2009 6:39:08 AM PST by Sopater
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of parents and students at Lakeview Elementary School in Wilson County after school officials ordered “God Bless the USA,” “In God We Trust,” and other phrases referencing God and prayer to be covered up on posters before they could be displayed in the school’s hallways. The posters were hand-drawn by students and their families to announce “See You at the Pole,” a voluntary, student-led prayer event held outside of class time.
“Christian students shouldn’t be censored for expressing their beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel Nate Kellum. “It’s ridiculous as well as unconstitutional to cover up these references to God and prayer--one of which is the National Motto itself--on posters announcing a student-led activity. School officials appear to be having an allergic reaction to the ACLU’s long-term record of fear, intimidation, and disinformation, despite a previous court ruling at this very school that said students can observe these types of events on school property.”
The American Civil Liberties Union previously sued the school to stop it from recognizing such events, including “See You at the Pole” and the National Day of Prayer. In May 2008, a federal judge refused to grant the ACLU’s request.
Each year, students and parents affiliated with Lakeview Elementary School in Mt. Juliet have placed posters in the hallways of the school informing students of the “See You at the Pole” event. This year, each poster, made on personal time without the use of any school funds or supplies, included the disclaimer: “See You at the Pole is a student-initiated and student-led event and is not endorsed by Lakeview Elementary or Wilson County schools.” Nevertheless, the students and their parents were ordered to cover up references to God and prayer and any Scripture passages on the posters or else they could not be posted.
After a school employee told the parent of one student, “You can’t hang up those posters. They have the word ‘God’ on them,” the school’s vice principal and director reinforced the policy, explaining that posters containing religious references, like “In God We Trust,” “God Bless America,” and “come and pray,” are precluded by school board policy and prohibited in the hallways as inappropriate.
“The Constitution prohibits government officials from singling out religious speech for censorship, but this is exactly what Lakeview school officials did when they ordered these words to be covered,” Kellum said.
ADF-allied attorney David L. Maddox is serving as local counsel in the case.
So school lunches should be free.
Oh and all school activities Plays, sports etc. Can’t have that money in the school halls with in god we trust on it.
This is absurd. My daughter attends a school in the same district, She has made a few posters for school with the name of God and Jesus on them, and they have all been displayed in the hallway, never has anyone objected.
Sounds like someone in Lakewood Elementary is wanting to stir the pot.
I’m sick of these communists and all this PC garbage running rampant.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
Quite right. They also missed the part where “In God We Trust” is the official motto of these United States.
I live just a few miles from this school and I believe that it isn’t an anti-God attitude that is fueling this but rather knee-jerk reaction to intimidation by the ACLU.
When is enough going to be too much?
I guess they don’t want those parents to pay dues to the PTA then for fear of possibly seeing that “In God We Trust” motto on the money.
TN is interesting to me. When I read about happenings in the state, some are extremely conservative, and then another article will be on a position/legislation that’s very liberal. It’s one extreme or the other. What gives?
in comrade obama we trust.
/s
Ban the administrators, replace them with Constitutionalists who will protect freedom of speech and religion.
For all the good ADF does, for the life of me I can’t understand why they don’t put any punch to their lawsuits.
They’ll win this one, of course. But the win will be that the school can’t prohibit these posters in THAT hall on THAT day of MARCH of odd numbered years.
ADF’s approach requires 150,000 lawyers working 24/7 just to stay even with the ACLU.
Better confiscate all items with “In God We Trust” on them from all teachers and staff in that district.
I agree. I’ll volunteer to take those nasty, God worshipping (/s) dollar bills off of them...
In that district, I would tell my kids that they were required (by me) to fight censorship even if it’s a stretch to work a reference to God into their art, that they have to defend freedom, and that fight starts in elementary school and lasts for life. [I already tell my kids something similar.]
I guess everything at the school will have to be paid for with a credit card or debit card—no coins or paper money can be allowed on the premises, since they have the dreaded words “In God We Trust” on them.
Some one who promotes the pro Gay anti Christian agenda, probably an administrator. I used to teach in a district that was overrun with Gay administrators, all the way to the District level.
Things change when that happens. On the other hand I lead the prayer at the flag pole at my school. I was not well liked.
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