Posted on 02/16/2012 11:23:05 PM PST by ColdOne
CRANSTON, R.I. – A Rhode Island public school district committee on Thursday voted not to appeal a federal court decision ordering the removal of a prayer banner displayed in a high school in a lawsuit brought on behalf of a 16-year-old atheist.
The Cranston School Committee voted 5-2 at a public hearing to discuss the suit involving Jessica Ahlquist, a junior at Cranston High School West.
After the vote, she said, "I'm thrilled." The hearing lasted more than two hours.
The banner, put up in 1963, has been covered since a federal judge last month ruled it was unconstitutional and ordered its removal. The Class of 1963, which was the first to graduate from the school, gave the prayer and school creed as gifts.
Appeal opponents cited the legal costs as grounds for giving up the fight.
Lawyers representing Ahlquist have asked the court to order the city to pay $173,000 for legal fees. Attorney Joseph Cavanagh Jr., who represented the city, said a legal fight in the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston and the U.S. Supreme Court would cost another $500,000 in legal fees.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
One step closer to enshrining Atheism as the State Religion.
Get this to Mark Levin and have Lanmark Legal defend the students that wanted to appeal
Get this to Mark Levin and have Lanmark Legal defend the students that wanted to appeal
The good little Marxist is thrilled.
Placemark. There are groups which fight religious freedom cases often pro bono. I have a friend who was involved in one such case, the Rutherford Institute took it.
When do we decide that we will not comply. Tyranny by a minority (one silly student) must be met with overwhelming non-complance. Parents go to school and do the prayer.
I believe that it was Ben Franklin who said that, “Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting what to have for dinner. Liberty is a well armed sheep contesting the results.”
Meanwhile, I keep on reloading ammo.
There is no need to ‘appeal’ anything. Federal judges have absolutely zero jurisdiction over states and localities in matters of religion. The 1st Amendment refers only to “Congress”, and the 10th Amendment reserves all powers not limited by the Constitution, to the states, and the people. The school need only announce they are nullifying the ruling, and remove the covering over the banner.
The lawyers get $173,000. The girl gets $25. Not quite 30 silver pieces. But she WILL be remembered forever for this. Enjoy being the town bleephole.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.