2012 Victories: Little Girl can say “God” in School Poem

This is the latest installment in a year-end series looking back at a few of the hundreds of victories by the ACLJ in 2012. Imagine your son or daughter is given an assignment in his or her second grade class, just like thousands of other students around the country, to write a short poem. Your young child decides to write a poem that mentions their love for God, yet their teacher scolds them. That is exactly what happened to one little girl when she wrote, “Love is the earth that God ma... Continue Reading

Teacher Prayer Meetings in School

Tags: Schools, teacher

Oct 12 2012 11:18 AM

Filed in: Free Speech | by CeCe Heil | 10:51 AM Jun. 8, 2012

Reference to God Removed From Student Assignment

We were recently contacted by the father of a second grade student who attends a public elementary school. In response to an assignment, the second grader wrote a short poem in her journal that included the line, “Love is the earth that God made.” Her teacher crossed out that line and said that discussion of God was not allowed in class. The father asked us if we could provide him with materials or guidance before he discussed the matter with the teacher. We sent him a personalized ... Continue Reading

Filed in: US Constitution | by Jay Sekulow | 11:00 PM Dec. 8, 2010

Standing Up for Oregon Teacher

It doesn't make sense. A teacher at a Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon was scheduled to teach a course on Islam. Instead of being able to conduct the course, the teacher was fired - given a pink slip for speaking the truth about Islam. What's worse. The terrorism-related group CAIR pressured the school to get rid of the teacher. That's right - intimidation from CAIR - an organization that the U.S. government labeled an 'unindicted co-conspirator' in a major terrorism case with links to Hamas. We are now representing the teacher, Barry Sommer, and have sent a demand letter to the school. If the school does not rehire our client and reinstate the class, we will take legal action. You can read the letter here. This is absurd. Not only did the school violate the First Amendment free speech rights of our client, it caved in to the bullying tactics employed by CAIR. This is CAIR's strategy - intimidate - attack. We're not going to let that happen. We're standing up for... Continue Reading

Filed in: US Constitution | by Jay Sekulow | 11:00 PM Dec. 4, 2010

Christian Astronomer Facing Religious Discrimination

We are preparing for trial in a very important religion discrimination case in Kentucky that's likely to attract a lot of attention. We represent Professor Martin Gaskell, an internationally-respected astronomer who was turned down for the post of Observatory Director at the University of Kentucky in 2007 after concerns were voiced that some of his writings contained in a personal website discussing the relationship between science and religion showed him to be potentially evangelical. Professor Gaskell has filed suit against the University claiming that, by considering his religion in the hiring process, Kentucky violated Title VII, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which, among other things, prohibits employers from using an applicants race, color, religion, sex or national origin in making hiring decisions. In an important decision just days ago, a federal district judge denied the University's motion for summary judgment with Judge Karl Forester of the U.S. District Court in Lexingto... Continue Reading