Court Strikes Down Public High School Graduation Prayers

(Reuters) - A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that a high school graduation in a San Antonio suburb may not include an opening and closing prayer or the words "invocation" or "benediction."

District Judge Fred Biery ruled that using those words would make it sound like Castroville's Medina Valley High School is "sponsoring a religion."

"We think that the district has been flouting the law for decades," said Ayesha Kahn, an attorney for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed the lawsuit. "We're glad that the court is going to put an end to it."

No appeal of the ruling is planned, and the invocation and benediction will no longer take place, said Chris Martinez, assistant superintendent of the Medina Valley Independent School District.

"Our entire school system is set up on following the rules, and we are going to do that," Martinez told Reuters.

"But this is one parent's opinion of what we are doing. We don't believe we have done anything wrong."

Christa and Danny Schultz, who describe themselves as agnostics, sued the district, claiming that their son might not participate in the graduation set for Saturday if he were forced to participate in religious activities.

Biery ruled that students who are speaking at graduation can still talk about their faith, or cite a belief in God as the reason for their success, but they may not say "amen" or "God bless you," or have the audience rise and bow their heads.

There are 238 students set to graduate.

Martinez said the Pledge of Allegiance, which includes the words "under God," will go on as scheduled.

(Editing by Corrie MacLaggan and Jerry Norton)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the organization Americans United for Separation of Church and State as Americans United for Church and State.

Comments

[UnderTheHedgeWeGo]

10:44 AM on 06/03/2011

This article opens with a statement that has precipitated much of the discussion and discord in the comments that follow;

"A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that a high school graduation in a San Antonio suburb may not include an opening and closing prayer or the words "invocation" or "benediction."

There is a vast difference between the school officials scheduling "an opening and closing prayer" and the recitation of a prayer by an individual student. The first is illegal. The latter is just rude, inappropriate and presumptuous. As we can see from the 1,200 plus comments that follow, the individual student will find support for the prayer from her coreligionist but will likely offend those of other faiths or no faith. The fact that Christians feel it is appropriate to subject us to there spiritual world view in a secular venue is one manifestation of their sense of entitlement in our culture.

[Michael73501]

11:08 AM on 06/03/2011

Just as you have subjected us to your opinion here, everyday day the people of our nation "subject" the others to their political, religious, philisophical, and/or some psychological views, along with other forms of thought and expression. If it is too much for you to allow others to have "free speech", even in a secular venue, perhaps you should look for the place that would make you happiest. The rights of the people aren't limited to any particular place.

[UnderTheHedgeWeGo]

11:29 AM on 06/03/2011

I was explicit about the right to free speech. Individuals have a right too free speech. Government institutions do not. You seem to be confused about setting and content. What is legal and what may be done without criticism are not the same thing. Along with your other feelings of Christian entitlement we see that anyone who does not agree with you should find somewhere other than your own personal America in which to live. And YOUR the free speech advocate?

[Warren Lauzon]

08:52 AM on 06/03/2011

I don't know why they spend so much time on petty issues like this and not going after things like creationism in textbooks.

[Michael73501]

10:25 AM on 06/03/2011

This is not petty. This is about RIGHTS and how one group attempts to take rights away from others through activist judges.

[UnderTheHedgeWeGo]

10:30 AM on 06/03/2011

Unless they are Right Wing activist judges; then it is just fine.

[hoho5973]

11:36 PM on 06/02/2011

Best way to handle this,is to leave the details out, until it's too late to file a lawsuit.........

[hoho5973]

11:34 PM on 06/02/2011

Just goes to show, persecution happens everywhere...........including the USA.

[Michael73501]

10:47 AM on 06/03/2011

This judge would have been happy under Stalin....or Hitler. He would have made them happy as well.

[hoho5973]

11:30 PM on 06/02/2011

I would say a religious word, just to see what would happen..............dare them to arrest........

[Endersdragon]

01:15 AM on 06/03/2011

The judical branch has no power to make laws. For any of their rulings to really become laws, they need both legislative and executive branch to support them. So therefore there can be no real arrests for anything outside of contempt of court, which seems quite unlikely.

[hoho5973]

11:29 PM on 06/02/2011

Irreparable harm?? Are these parents serious?? I am trying to contemplate what kind of irreparable harm can come to a child hearing a prayer at a high school graduation?? That is simply incredible! You always have to have some rotten egg to ruin things for the majority......

[UnderTheHedgeWeGo]

09:40 AM on 06/03/2011

Why must we all be subjected to your superstitious beliefs at a secular event?

[Michael73501]

10:03 AM on 06/03/2011

This isn't about your "cave" non-belief and those who believe in a Higher Power. This is about rights!
Why should the many be forced to give up their rights to matriculate as they desire because a cry-baby, supported by enabling parents, says he would suffer some type of "harm" in others expressed a belief in something he didn't understand?
It about RIGHTS for all - not just for ONE !!!

[Athirson]

09:32 PM on 06/02/2011

If you promise not to pray in my school, I likewise promise I will never, ever even try to think in your church.

[capercaper]

10:18 PM on 06/02/2011

And what school is "yours?" Thought they were public . . .

[Endersdragon]

01:16 AM on 06/03/2011

You can't outlaw personal prayer in schools... or courts... or anywhere. Just led prayers by someone in an official capacity.

[Oneandoneandone]

06:45 PM on 06/02/2011

Anyone else notice that Christians are the only theists shouting about how prayer and the like should be allowed in public schools. No other religions (that I'm aware of) have ever insisted their faith be in the curriculum, in speeches, on money, etc.

[TomMartin]

09:41 PM on 06/02/2011

That might be true in this country, because Christianity is dominant here. But for example in Saudi Arabia they even have Allah named on the flag.

[Oneandoneandone]

01:05 PM on 06/03/2011

This country does not have an established religion.

That one does.

[Watching rock grow]

11:18 PM on 06/02/2011

Of course children in Islamic schools don't pray and sit together regardless of their sex.

[Oneandoneandone]

01:05 PM on 06/03/2011

I'm talking about public schools - re: article above. Tax-payer funded places. You are talking about a private school.

It is irrelevant.

[hypple]

06:35 PM on 06/02/2011

How many times does this issue have to end up in court? Does god not hear you when you pray silently?? If you want to thank god for something you feel is a blessing from him, thank him, but don't expect everyone else to. He already knows how you feel according to the faithful, correct?

[Demos 0]

02:09 AM on 06/03/2011

Hypple,

Lets say that you are first in you class and are selected to speak. Lets also say that you would like to thank your parents, maybe mom

[UnderTheHedgeWeGo]

09:47 AM on 06/03/2011

So thank your mom. Is there some reason I should be subjected to your superstitious beliefs? While it is not illegal for an individual (other than an official of the government) to say a prayer at a graduation it does seem to me to be rude. Why does anyone feel they need to inflict their believes on me in a secular public form?

[Scottsman]

05:47 PM on 06/02/2011

Ah , a brief moment of sanity,

[bbriani3842]

05:36 PM on 06/02/2011

How much money has to be wasted in court by school districts that continue to allow school-endorsed prayers in schools and school functions?

Take a goddam hint!

[Demos 0]

02:12 AM on 06/03/2011

It's easy. Stop trying to limit the first amendment freedom of speech. And the school districts will stop taking the jack-booted thugs to court.

[MagicManDoneIt]

04:33 AM on 06/03/2011

It's not limiting free speech, it's protecting the other part of the First Amendment, the Establishment Clause. Check into it.

[jwyola]

04:19 PM on 06/02/2011

Not that I advocate displays of Religious beliefs at Public Functions, would it not be hillarious if there were a God and with a Sense of Humor, who declared at the end of times; " You did not believe in Me, now I don't believe in You

[Michael Hallmark]

05:13 PM on 06/02/2011

Yes, and Zeus can hit us with his hammer.

[Dabo415]

05:28 PM on 06/02/2011

Zeus = Lightning bolts
Thor = Hammer

Just sayin'... :)

[OneFish]

05:29 PM on 06/02/2011

Wasn't that Thor? He made a new movie by they way. It's probably dumb but amusing. Wait for Netflix on that one.

[hypple]

06:40 PM on 06/02/2011

would that be the merciless god that the bible talks about? that sounds more like what a sadist would say, with a grin on their face. hilarious.

I forget, which god is the sadist, Yahweh or Jehovah?

[TomMartin]

09:45 PM on 06/02/2011

You might be interested that there are groups like the Assemblies of Yahweh, that say Yahweh is not God, because the word God is pagan in origin. So they oppose anything with pagan roots, as sinful.

[Jan Allen McDaniel]

04:13 PM on 06/02/2011

Thank you Americans United for the unending effort to defend America's wall of separation.

[Puffin16]

03:38 PM on 06/02/2011

Let's not stop at school graduations. Stop making people swear on the Bible in court. Why does the POTUS swear on a Bible when he takes the oath of office? The separation of church and state should start there.

[hypple]

06:27 PM on 06/02/2011

I've thought that too.. If I'm ever asked to 'swear on the bible' I'm going to say that I might as well 'swear on the dictionary' because it wouldn't matter in my eyes... It's just silly, if a person plans on lying, they're going to lie, period.

[TYRANNASAURUS]

06:33 PM on 06/02/2011

Right Puffin....what's with this "SO HELP ME GOD CRAP"?

[bholly72]

03:11 PM on 06/02/2011

Well, I agree that student speakers should not be allowed to lead a prayer, but prohibiting them from saying "Amen" and "God bless you"? Too weird.

[OneFish]

05:30 PM on 06/02/2011

Perhaps. Maybe it's a predictable reaction to the abuse people have taken at the hands of the religious in the political arena.

[bholly72]

06:39 PM on 06/02/2011

Perhaps, but it feeds into the right's distortion of what the Supreme Court has said, and helps whip those folks into a frenzy.

[DTOM1776]

10:39 PM on 06/02/2011

Greetings OneFish

And what, exactly, would evidence of "...the abuse people have taken at the hands of the religious..." consist of?

[hoho5973]

11:32 PM on 06/02/2011

Yeah, it is quite ridiculous, don't you think?