A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction forcing Santa Rosa schools to discontinue policies and practices that "promote religion throughout district schools," a press release from the ACLU states.
U.S. District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers granted the preliminary injunction late Friday following the district's admission to the court that it has violated the constitutional rights of students.
"Overall, school officials should not be using their official positions to promote personal religious beliefs," said Benjamin James Stevenson, principal ACLU litigator. "We are pleased with the school district for admitting and accepting responsibility and we are pleased with the court's order."
The ACLU filed suit against the district on Aug. 27, 2008, on behalf of two Pace High School students and their parents.
The lawsuit claims that students at Pace "not only face overt compulsion to adopt the religious beliefs of school officials, but also must contend with subtle, coercive pressures to conform their religious beliefs to those favored by school officials."
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off site, courtesy DailyNews (Florida).
