Looks like we will find out sometime in the near future.
This seems to be an interesting look at how schools struggle with student led attempts to promote a religious point of view in a public setting where there is a requirement that the institution itself be neutral.
Cheerleaders at Kountze High School have been using Bible quotes on signs at football games, but have been prevented from doing so by the KISD's superintendent on the legal advice of the Texas Association of School Boards. Past court decisions have maintained that school sponsored groups can be taken as sending a message that the public school - meaning the state - is endorsing a specific religious point of view at the expense of others.
Some of the cheerleader's parents filed suits and obtained a restraining order from a judge. The order mandates "the Kountze Independent School District to "cease and desist" from preventing high school cheerleaders from displaying the large paper banners, through which football players ran at the start of games." The Texas Attorney General argues that the signs do not violate First Amendment rights and has offered to help the cheerleaders.
A hearing is scheduled October 4th, so we'll keep up with this story. It could be with us a while.
Related links, stories, interested groups:
- Kountze High School Cheerleaders Fight to Use Bible Verses as Signs at Football Games.
- Judge Allows Kountze High School Cheerleaders to Use Bible Banners.
- Texas AG offers to help school district in battle over religious banners.
- First Amendment Center
- American United for the Separation of Church and State
- Liberty Institute
- Freedom from Religion Foundation.
- Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe
- Texas Association of School Boards.
