Religion Banned From Santa Rosa Schools

By Emily Forrester

Published: Mon, January 12, 2009 - 4:54 pm Last Updated: Mon, January 12, 2009 - 5:44 pm

Short URL: http://wkrg.com/a/22566/

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida argued the Santa Rosa County Public School System was violating students' rights when it came to religion.
A federal judge has ruled in the ACLU's favor.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers issued a preliminary injunction against the school system.
The ACLU filed a lawsuit in August on behalf of two Pace High School students. The ACLU argued that the students' First Amendment right was violated.

As of now, public schools in Santa Rosa County are prohibited from promoting prayers at school events, including graduations.
Schools cannot plan or pay for religious baccalaureate programs and cannot holf school events at churches when other places are available. Santa Rosa County school employees are also banned from promoting their own personal beliefs on religion.

"Parents, not public schools, have the right to control the religious education of their children,” said Daniel Mach, Director of Litigation for the ACLU’s Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief.

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A federal judge orders the school district to not promote religion at any of the schools.

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cork Says:

Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 2:15 pm

God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?

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redstate Says:

Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 11:47 pm

Just another typical situation in which the “few” get their way over the “many”, with the ACLU doing it’s typical bullying tactics.

The parents and students of Santa Rosa County must now counter-sue. By not allowing their religious freedom in a public setting, the ACLU and that idiot judge have violated far more others civil rights. Will the ACLU stand up for them also? Ha, don’t count on it.

Besides, any student does have the legal right to pray whenever they wish, be it at a sports event, graduation or in the classroom. That has been proven on a federal level. If you are a student and speaking at any school related event you do have the legal right to pray openly. It’s your constitutional right. And if a “few” don’t like it, then they don’t have to listen.

The ACLU is a crock of garbage and bringing this country into the pits and their legal arguments are idiotic at best, too bad some judges are just as idiotic…...counter sue, you will win.

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