A Texas attorney is suggesting a recent ruling in the legal debate over cheerleaders' banners displaying Bible verses could set a national precedent.
On Thursday a Texas district judge granted a temporary injunction which allows Kountze High School cheerleaders to continue making banners with religious messages. The decision came the day before a home game, ensuring the football players could run through a breakaway banner that displays a religious message.
Liberty Institute attorney Mike Johnson, representing the cheerleaders, says this was an important decision not only for Kountze but for the nation.
"It sets an important precedent not only for south Texas but really the whole nation, reaffirming students' rights to free speech," he offers. "And yes, they secured the right through the end of this football season and until next summer when a trial date has been set."
A full trial is set for June 24, 2013, but Johnson is hopeful that will no longer be necessary.
"It's possible that now that the court has provided this sort of affirmation that that's lawful activity that the district will just retract their unconstitutional policy," he states.
The controversy erupted after the Freedom From Religion Foundation complained of the student-made religious banners displayed at public school events, which led to the Southeast Texas school banning them.