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| CB... |
 Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 2:00 pm |
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School prayer charges stir protests
Educators face jail in Florida
By Julia Duin
Originally published 04:45 a.m., August 14, 2009, updated 12:20 p.m., August
14, 2009
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/14/criminal-prayer-case-stirs-protests/?feat=home_headlines
Students, teachers and local pastors are protesting over a court case
involving a northern Florida school principal and an athletic director who
are facing criminal charges and up to six months in jail over their offer of
a mealtime prayer.
There have been yard signs, T-shirts and a mass student protest during
graduation ceremonies this spring on behalf of Pace High School Principal
Frank Lay and school athletic director Robert Freeman, who will go on trial
Sept. 17 at a federal district court in Pensacola for breaching the
conditions of a lawsuit settlement reached last year with the American Civil
Liberties Union.
"I have been defending religious freedom issues for 22 years, and I've never
had to defend somebody who has been charged criminally for praying," said
Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, the Orlando-based
legal group that is defending the two school officials.
An ACLU official said the school district has allowed "flagrant" violations
of the First Amendment for years.
"The defendants all admitted wrongdoing," said Daniel Mach, director of
litigation for its freedom of religion program. "For example, the Pace High
School teachers handbook asks teachers to 'embrace every opportunity to
inculcate, by precept and example, the practice of every Christian virtue.'
"
The fight involving the ACLU, the school district and several devout
Christian employees began last August when the ACLU sued Santa Rosa County
Schools on behalf of two students who had complained privately to the
group's Florida affiliate, claiming some teachers and administrators were
allowing prayers at school events such as graduations, orchestrating
separate religiously themed graduation services, and "proselytizing"
students during class and after school.
In January, the Santa Rosa County School District settled out of court with
the ACLU, agreeing to several things, including a provision to bar all
school employees from promoting or sponsoring prayers during
school-sponsored events; holding school events at church venues when a
secular alternative was available; or promoting their religious beliefs or
attempting to convert students in class or during school-sponsored events.
Mr. Staver said the district also agreed to forbid senior class President
Mary Allen from speaking at the school's May 30 graduation ceremony on the
chance that the young woman, a known Christian, might say something
religious.
"She was the first student body president in 33 years not allowed to speak,"
he said.
--
CB
"Larry Hewitt" <larryhewi at (no spam) comporium.net> wrote in message
news:c4KdnaAUA8FUrhvX4p2dnAA at (no spam) comporium.net...
You remind me of the character in "30 Days of Night" when the vampire
says...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUr0IwxCJMk
Watch for it 55 sec. in |
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| RichTravsky... |
| Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 10:37 pm |
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Guest
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CB wrote:
Quote:
School prayer charges stir protests
Educators face jail in Florida
Good. It's unConstitutional. Get that through your hick head. |
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