ACLU Gets Smacked Around in Florida

Chalk one up for the good guys:

After months of litigation against the ACLU and the Santa Rosa County School District, and on the eve of Independence Day, Liberty Counsel has restored freedom to the District’s teachers, staff, students, and members of the community.

Faced with an imminent trial and damning evidence of their constitutional violations, the ACLU and the District agreed to settle Liberty Counsel’s federal lawsuit, challenging their Consent Decree on behalf of students, teachers, parents and community members. The Consent Decree that led to criminal indictments against school employees for prayer and banned "God Bless" in Santa Rosa County schools will now be gutted and revised.

The amended Consent Decree will restore dozens of constitutional religious freedoms that were previously denied. In addition, Liberty Counsel and Christian Educators Association International will be awarded $265,000 in attorney’s fees and costs from an insurance provider, not the taxpayers, to compensate them for the litigation caused by the ACLU and the District.

This is a huge step in the right direction and a victory for the citizens in Santa Rosa County. The notice of settlement was filed with the court this morning and awaits official approval by the school board and the court. As a result, Liberty Counsel’s clients who are teachers will now be able to pray at school during their break times, pray during school events in a nonofficial capacity, attend and fully participate in baccalaureate services, have a Bible on their desk, wear religious jewelry, and assign readings from the Bible to students when relevant to nonreligious academic assignments. Students will be allowed to voluntarily pray, submit religious answers in homework, and freely participate in private, after-school religious programs.

It's time a lot of this nonsense banning any mention of God in schools is abolished. The constitution, which the ACLU claims they want to protect, has been badly abused in cases like this.