Posted on 03/01/2010 7:07:54 PM PST by Man50D
A federal judge in California has handed down a scathing ruling against a school that required one of its teachers to remove signs celebrating the role of God in American history from his classroom walls.
As WND reported, math teacher Bradley Johnson had banners hanging in his classroom at Westview High School in San Diego, Calif., for more than 17 years with phrases like "In God We Trust" and "All Men Are Created Equal, They Are Endowed by Their Creator," only to have the principal order them torn down during the 2007 school year.
But Johnson filed a lawsuit alleging the order a violation of his constitutional rights, and the teacher has now been rewarded with a court victory and a powerfully-worded ruling.
"May a school district censor a high school teacher's expression because it refers to Judeo-Christian views, while allowing other teachers to express views on a number of controversial subjects, including religion and anti-religion?" posited U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez in his judgment. "On undisputed evidence, this court holds that it may not."
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
Praise the Lord!
Posted by Brad’s Aunt
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2462052/posts
Federal Judge Rule Teacher has Constitutional Right to Display Patriotic Banners that Mention “God”
Thomas More law Center ^ | March 1, 2010 | Pollywog
Posted on Monday, March 01, 2010 7:36:27 PM by pollywog
I couldn’t be more proud. My nephew Brad Johnson, won a Constituional victory on Friday. A Federal Judge ruled the Poway School District violated his civil rights in displaying a banner with the words God...
Leave it to liberals to protest the US currency and the Declaration of Independence.
Great news! Thanks for sharing.
bump
A federal judge in California... ???
We really MUST be in end times.
Wonderful!
My thoughts exactly! A judge with sense from California? I didn’t think any existed. Rarer than a unicorn/s
Happy news for a change. Thank you for posting it.
This is from the ruling.
Other teachers at the four high schools in the Poway Unified School District, including Westview High School, display in their classrooms non-educational and non-curricular messages such as: -a 35 to 40-foot long string of Tibetan prayer flags with writings in Sanskrit and images of Buddha. Ex. 24-26, Plaintiff’s Statement of Undisputed Material Facts in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment (hereinafter “Ex. __, PUMF”); Dep. of Brickley at 87:8-18, Ex. 5, PUMF. -a large poster of John Lennon and the lyrics to the song “Imagine”:Ex. 24, PUMF (emphasis added). -a poster of Hindu leader, Mahatma Gandhi. Ex. 47, PUMF. -a poster of Hindu leader, Mahatma Gandhi’s “7 Social Sins”:
- Imagine there’s no Heaven, It’s easy if you try No hell below us, Above us only sky Imagine all the people, Living for today Imagine there’s no countries, It isn’t hard to do Nothing to kill or die for, And no religion, too Imagine all the people, Living life in peace You may say that I’m a dreamer, But I’m not the only one I hope that someday you’ll join us, And the world will be as one...
-a poster of Buddhist leader, the Dali Lama. Ex. 49, PUMF. -a poster that says: “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” Ex. 151, PUMF. -posters of Muslim minister, Malcolm X. Ex. 50-51, PUMF. -a Greenpeace poster that says: “Stop Global Warming.” Ex. 64, PUMF. -posters of rock bands Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen, and the Beatles. Ex. 52-56, PUMF. -posters of professional athletes and sports teams. Ex. 74-80, PUMF. -a poster of the movie “Monty Python’s Quest for the Holy Grail.” Ex. 86, PUMF. -“Day of Silence” posters. Ex. 15, PUMF. -bumper stickers that say: “Equal Rights Are Not Special Rights,” “Dare to Think for Yourself,” and “Celebrate Diversity.”1 Ex. 16, PUMF. -a Libertarian Party poster. Ex. 35, PUMF. -a poster with a large peace sign and the word “peace” in several languages. Ex. 37, PUMF. -a mock American flag with a peace sign replacing the 50 stars and appearing to be six feet wide and four feet tall. Ex. 39, PUMF. -an anti-war poster that asks: “How many Iraqi children did we kill today?” Ex. 41, PUMF. -a pro-defense poster of a Navy aircraft carrier that says: “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of All Who Threaten it” and appearing to be seven feet wide and four feet tall. Ex. 42, PUMF. -posters of civil rights advocate Martin Luther King, Jr. Ex. 45 & 47, PUMF. -a large poster that says: “Zero Population Growth.” Ex. 152, PUMF. -a large poster of an American flag with the motto: “United We Stand.” Ex. 57, PUMF. -a large poster of an American flag that says: “...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Ex. 58, PUMF. -flags with the historical political motto: “Don’t tread on me.” Ex. 62 & 63, PUMF. -non-student artwork. Ex. 81, PUMF. -life-sized cartoon characters. Ex. 89 & 93, PUMF. -photographs and inspirational sayings. Ex. 69-73, PUMF. Teachers control the messages conveyed by their classroom displays. Johnson’s banners have caused no disruption or interference in his classroom or elsewhere in the school. Likewise, the banners have not interfered with the basic educational mission of the school district.
- Politics without principle Wealth without work Commerce without morality Pleasure without conscience Education without character Science without humanity Worship without sacrifice. Ex. 48, PUMF.
U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 108th Congress - 2nd Session
as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate
| Question: On the Nomination (Confirmation: Roger T. Benitez, of California, to be U.S. District Judge ) | |||
| Vote Number: | 127 | Vote Date: | June 17, 2004, 03:31 PM |
| Required For Majority: | 1/2 | Vote Result: | Nomination Confirmed |
| Nomination Number: | PN571 | ||
| Nomination Description: | Roger T. Benitez, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of California | ||
| Vote Counts: | YEAs | 98 |
| NAYs | 1 | |
| Not Voting | 1 |
| Vote Summary | By Senator Name | By Vote Position | By Home State |
| Akaka (D-HI), Yea Alexander (R-TN), Yea Allard (R-CO), Yea Allen (R-VA), Yea Baucus (D-MT), Yea Bayh (D-IN), Yea Bennett (R-UT), Yea Biden (D-DE), Yea Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Bond (R-MO), Yea Boxer (D-CA), Yea Breaux (D-LA), Yea Brownback (R-KS), Yea Bunning (R-KY), Yea Burns (R-MT), Yea Byrd (D-WV), Yea Campbell (R-CO), Yea Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea Chafee (R-RI), Yea Chambliss (R-GA), Yea Clinton (D-NY), Yea Cochran (R-MS), Yea Coleman (R-MN), Yea Collins (R-ME), Yea Conrad (D-ND), Yea Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Corzine (D-NJ), Yea Craig (R-ID), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Yea Daschle (D-SD), Yea Dayton (D-MN), Yea DeWine (R-OH), Yea Dodd (D-CT), Yea |
Dole (R-NC), Yea Domenici (R-NM), Yea Dorgan (D-ND), Yea Durbin (D-IL), Nay Edwards (D-NC), Yea Ensign (R-NV), Yea Enzi (R-WY), Yea Feingold (D-WI), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Yea Fitzgerald (R-IL), Yea Frist (R-TN), Yea Graham (D-FL), Yea Graham (R-SC), Yea Grassley (R-IA), Yea Gregg (R-NH), Yea Hagel (R-NE), Yea Harkin (D-IA), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Yea Hollings (D-SC), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), Yea Inouye (D-HI), Yea Jeffords (I-VT), Yea Johnson (D-SD), Yea Kennedy (D-MA), Yea Kerry (D-MA), Not Voting Kohl (D-WI), Yea Kyl (R-AZ), Yea Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Yea Levin (D-MI), Yea Lieberman (D-CT), Yea Lincoln (D-AR), Yea |
Lott (R-MS), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Yea McConnell (R-KY), Yea Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Miller (D-GA), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Murray (D-WA), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea Nickles (R-OK), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea Reed (D-RI), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Santorum (R-PA), Yea Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shelby (R-AL), Yea Smith (R-OR), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea Specter (R-PA), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Yea Stevens (R-AK), Yea Sununu (R-NH), Yea Talent (R-MO), Yea Thomas (R-WY), Yea Voinovich (R-OH), Yea Warner (R-VA), Yea Wyden (D-OR |
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