Texas court backs cheerleaders' display of religious banners

LATimes ^ | May 8, 2013, 5:27 p.m. | Cindy Carcamo,

[BenLurkin]

Cheerleaders in a small Texas town can continue to display their Bible verse banners at football games, after a district judge ruled Wednesday that their actions did not violate the Constitution.

The cheerleaders in the football-dominated town of Kountze garnered national attention when they sued the school district in a case that pitted free-speech rights and religious freedom against the doctrine of separation of church and state.

Hardin County 365th Judicial District Court Judge Stephen Thomas said the banners that included religious messages — such as "If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31" — made and displayed by Kountze high school and middle school cheerleaders were permitted under the Constitution.

"The evidence in the case confirms that religious messages expressed on run-through banners have not created, and will not create, an establishment of religion in the Kountze community," Thomas said in his ruling.

[editor-surveyor]

Bravo!

[Viennacon]

Common sense prevails.

[Cicero]

A decent judge with common sense. Not many of them around these days.

[bunkerhill7]

My favorite biblical cheerleader banner:

“Let your loins be, Gert!”

[dsrtsage]

What part of the constitution did whoever was against them think they were violating? The “congress shall make no law” part, or the “shall not be infringed” part?

[deport]

Some of the cheerleaders, with help from the Plano, Texas-based Liberty Institute,
filed a lawsuit (Coti Matthews on behalf of her minor child, Macy Matthews, et al.,
v. Kountze Independent School District) against the school district after the ban
went into place, saying since they make the banners on their free time and pay
for the supplies, they are merely exercising their freedom of speech.

From left to right; Rebekah Richardson, 17, Savannah Short, 14, Ashton Lawrence, 16,
Kieara Moffett, 16, and Macy Matthews, 15, chat at the Richardson household on
Wednesday, November, 13, 2012. The Kountze cheerleaders have grown significantly
closer with everything they have worked through over the past two months.
Photo taken: Randy Edwards/The Enterprise
Read more: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/hardincountynews/article/Judge-rules-in-favor-of-Kountze-ISD-cheerleaders-4496249.php#ixzz2SlDOkviR

[21twelve]

Good for those cheerleaders to press the argument and not just go along.

And Romans 8:31 was about football!? Who knew!?

[rawcatslyentist]

Since when was it illegal for the citizenry to establish their religions?

The state is forbidden. NOT the citizens!

[usacon]

Give me a “Y” Give me an “A” Give me a “Y”, Whats that spell? YAY!!!

[Shark24]

Good for them! Look at their smiles. There is a joy in their hearts that God loves. God bless them.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Now this is how real diversity works. No government interference, just friendship, hard work and respect.

[GeronL]

The same people who complained about the banner are probably the same ones who’d support an elementary school making children wear things and doing booty call dances to raunchy rap lyrics.