Texas top court sides with cheerleaders in Bible banner suit

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Texas top court sides with cheerleaders in Bible banner suit

David Warren, Associated Press

Updated 2:56 pm, Friday, January 29, 2016

DALLAS (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday in favor of high school cheerleaders who had argued that their free speech was trampled by their school district when it ordered them not to display banners emblazoned with Bible verses at football games.

The court acknowledged in its opinion that the Kountze school district, about 95 miles northeast of Houston, later allowed the banners. But the justices determined their ruling was necessary to protect the future display of religious-themed signs because the district has argued it retains the right to restrict them.

The banners carried various Biblical verses such as, "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."

The lawsuit now returns to the appeals court that ruled in 2014 that the cheerleaders' lawsuit was moot because of the district's policy change.



Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Texas-top-court-sides-with-cheerleaders-in-Bible-6793223.php

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[BillZBubb]

1. Now there's a shock!

[mountain grammy]

2. Why can't people keep their religion to themselves?

[Initech]

4. "Thou shalt keep thy religion to thyself." - Carlin 4:20

[jonno99]

5. Your response could be construed as bigoted.

Replace "religion" with "sexual orientation" and see how that is received.

[Gore1FL]

7. Except mythology is a choice.

Sexual orientation is not.

[LiberalLovinLug]

14. Oh Snap!

great answer

[mountain grammy]

17. Thanks, good response to a very strange comparison.

[JoeyT]

19. Your response could be construed as being willfully obtuse.

Cheerleaders aren't hanging gay pride banners at football games in areas where the majority of the population is gay and straight people feel ostracized, and there isn't a history of schools forcing kids to be gay. It's a ridiculous false equivalence.

[jonno99]

20. "false equivalence"? Well, that depends on your POV, true? Thanks for sharing yours. nt

[Nye Bevan]

3. Kids waving a banner is obviously not an official endorsememt of a religion.

What a waste of the school district's money fighting this court battle.

[MGKrebs]

6. Not so clear to me.

I'm no lawyer, but if they are wearing uniforms of a school-sanctioned group, led by school staff, I could see how that could be construed as government sanction. Now if they want to allow Wiccan, Muslim, Buddhist, etc signs also then it's OK, but that can get slippery so most government entities just choose to avoid the whole thing.

[rockfordfile]

8. I agree

[LiberalLovinLug]

16. Except that would never happen

Christianity is the overwhelming majority religion. Add to that the fear-baiting and ostracization against other religions constantly in the media. And the influence teens, some still naive and susceptible, that live at home are under. No way there would be anything BUT Christian banners.

What I want to know is, will the visiting team NOT have God on their side? What if they bring a banner too?

And cheerleaders, here is another verse:

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with decency and propriety.

1 Timothy 2: 9

[keithbvadu2]

9. Verses from which Bible?

There are many Bibles.

It is the same religious discrimination if the other religions' Bibles are not quoted.

[Vinca]

10. People need to show up with signs bearing Koran verses.

See how fast freedom of speech disappears.

[Judi Lynn]

12. That would be choice, wouldn't it? Their wee brains would explode. n/t

[sinkingfeeling]

11. Will Texas be the capital of the American Theocracy?

[Stainless]

13. Another good reason for Texas to secede.......

and take their overbearing, self-righteous religious dogma with them.

[left-of-center2012]

15. Would Muslim words be as tolerated?

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

18. I have my banner ready for the next game