The ACLU has come up empty in another attempt to stop religious expression by students in a public school.
The American Civil Liberties Union asked the court to ban students in the Wilson County, Tennessee, schools from five faith-related activities -- playing a song with a religious reference in honor of a three-year-old cancer victim; observing the "See You at the Pole" student prayer event; participating in the National Day of Prayer; and holding any Thanksgiving or Christmas observances that included religious references. The liberal legal group also wanted to ban a parents' prayer group from meeting anywhere on campus. Nate Kellum, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), represented two students' families: the Walkers and the Golds. He says the ACLU came up 0-for-5 on its requests. "This is a clear win for religious freedom and, if not a total loss for the ACLU, certainly a hollow, shallow victory. The court acknowledged that Christians -- like the Walkers, like the Golds and their families -- cannot be discriminated against for their beliefs, and that personal prayer, mentions of God, and Christmas references are constitutionally appropriate in the school," Kellum contends. The ADF attorney says the lawsuit should clear up any confusion about the ACLU's goals with regard to any public expression of Christian belief. "The ACLU, with this lawsuit, hoped to wipe out every reference to God, but walked away with a 'take nothing' judgment. We are very pleased that the Walkers and the Golds were able to repel the ACLU's unmerited attacks," Kellum explains. The order issued by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee states that all of the activities the ACLU contested at the school may continue.
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