A South Carolina school district was ordered to pay more than $400,000 to the anti-religion American Humanist Association on Tuesday over prayers at an elementary school graduation nearly seven years ago.
The AHA sued the Greenville County Schools in 2013 for âexcessive entanglement of religionâ with elementary school graduations held at chapel at North Greenville University, where ceremonies included a Christian prayer and religious music.
The Greenville News reports:
In a decision last year, Judge Bruce Hendricks ruled the prayer practice, use of religious music and use of the chapel violated the Establishment Cause and entitled plaintiffs to $1 in nominal damages for both violations. The court also ruled that although written school district policies were constitutional, district practices âendorsed certain religious activity,â an order filed Tuesday states.
Hendricks ruled students are not allowed to pray at school events other than during time set aside for student remarks, and they cannot ask the audience to participate. The judge amended her order in March to remove reference to religious music on the basis it would require a separate lawsuit, and to task Greenville County Schools with adopting a written policy that prohibits employees from participating in student-led prayer, such as âstanding or bowing his or her head,â the News reports.
An AHA press release last summer celebrated the ruling as a âvictoryâ for students.
âWe are thrilled that the court is finally putting an end to flagrant school-sponsored prayers and Christian hymns at public school graduation ceremonies,â Monica Miller, AHA senior counsel, said last summer. âThis was a long fight for justice for students who do not wish to encounter government-sponsored religion at their own graduation ceremonies.â
The AHA also requested $584,026.25 for its trouble, and Hendricks awarded the bulk of the request in her order on Tuesday: $446,466 in attorneyâs fees and $9,776 in expenses, according to the News.
Greenville County Schools is expected to appeal.
The districtâs statement to FOX Carolina News:
Throughout this case, the School District has argued that students, like other citizens, have the right to free speech, including that of a religious nature. On this main point, Greenville County Schools successfully convinced the Court to uphold its consistent position on the central issue of protecting student speech and supported the districtâ belief that students should be allowed to speak from a religious or secular perspective at a graduation.  The School District has and will continue to remain committed to protecting studentsâ rights to free speech, while remaining neutral to religion.  Â
The School District will discuss the path forward with the insurance carrier covering the defense of this case, but anticipates appealing both the fee award and the decision upon which it was based to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.
On what basis can you make a school pay some atheist group. These people were likely not even at the event. This judge needs to be run out of town! Another misinterpretation of the establishment clause.