老澳门开奖结果

WEBSTER PARISH, La. 鈥� The 老澳门开奖结果 and the 老澳门开奖结果 of Louisiana filed suit in federal court today challenging Webster Parish School District鈥檚 widespread practice of subjecting students to school-sponsored Christian prayer, proselytizing, and other religious rituals. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Christy Cole, a parent of a Webster Parish student, and her daughter, K.C., who attends Lakeside Junior and Senior High in Sibley.

鈥淒eeply personal decisions about how and whether to practice religion should be made by families, not the government,鈥� said 老澳门开奖结果 of Louisiana Staff Attorney Bruce Hamilton. 鈥淲ebster Parish School District鈥檚 insistence on subjecting students to this kind of heavy-handed religious indoctrination is a clear violation of the Constitution, and has harmed our clients and the community as a whole.鈥�

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, details pervasive promotion of religion throughout district schools. Christian prayers are broadcast each morning over the PA system. School events 鈥� including athletic events, pep rallies, assemblies, and graduation ceremonies 鈥� incorporate official prayer, proselytizing, and other religious messages. Graduation ceremonies are frequently held in churches, and at times they resemble church services that include Bible verses and prayers. School officials have also told students that evolution is a 鈥渇airy tale,鈥� and implied that the Bible should be taken literally. The school has invited guests onto campus to preach to students, including Christian rapper Mynista.

The lawsuit asks the court to declare the district鈥檚 policies and practices unconstitutional and to block the district from continuing them.

鈥淚n this country, religious freedom is paramount. Religion is not something you should be bullied into by the government,鈥� said Ms. Cole. 鈥淎s a parent, I was alarmed and offended that the school district would pressure my daughter into reciting prayers and participating in religious rituals that she doesn鈥檛 believe in. I believe that praying in public is a sin, and that our religious faith is between us and God. The government simply has no business strong-arming my daughter into practicing a certain faith.鈥�

鈥淏eing subjected to unwelcome religious indoctrination should not be the price of getting a public education in Webster Parish,鈥� said Heather L. Weaver, senior staff attorney for the 老澳门开奖结果. 鈥淲ebster Parish is a textbook example of why government-sponsored religious indoctrination is so harmful and why our country鈥檚 founders took pains to prevent it. The aggressive and pervasive religious proselytizing by Webster Parish School District has made our client feel unwelcome at her own school and shunned by her peers and teachers. This needs to stop, and we commend Christy and K.C. for standing up and fighting for religious liberty.鈥�

A copy of the complaint is online here:
/legal-document/cole-v-webster-parish-school-board-complaint