Jessica Ahlquist Has Won Her Lawsuit!
The Court rules that Plaintiff [Ahlquist] has standing in this matter and rules in her favor on the merits of this dispute. The Court also orders the immediate removal of the Prayer Mural from the auditorium at Cranston West.
The religious banner that hangs in the auditorium at Rhode Island’s Cranston High School West will soon be coming down — the school has ten days to comply with the ruling.
This is what is was all about:
That banner reads:
Our Heavenly Father.
Grant us each day the desire to do our best.
To grow mentally and morally as well as physically.
To be kind and helpful to our classmates and teachers.
To be honest with ourselves as well as with others.
Help us to be good sports and smile when we lose as well as when we win.
Teach us the value of true friendship.
Help us always to conduct ourselves so as to bring credit to Cranston High School West.Amen.
When Jessica saw that banner over a year ago, she knew there was something wrong. She created a Facebook page to rally support to bring it down. For that, she was insulted and threatened by students and strangers. When the ACLU planned to file a lawsuit to bring the banner down, Jessica wanted to be the plaintiff.
In interview after interview after interview, I’ve been struck by how mature, well-spoken, and courageous Jessica has proven to be. Most adults don’t have those traits, much less a 16-year-old.
She’s proven to be a leader, standing up for what she believes is right, despite the overwhelming number of people in her high school who have tried (unsuccessfully) to make her life a living hell for what she’s done.
And if you saw Jessica’s speech at the 2011 Secular Student Alliance conference like I did, you’d understand why we need more student activists just like her.
via Jessica Ahlquist Has Won Her Lawsuit! | Friendly Atheist.
