ACLJ to Represent CT School District in Lawsuit Over Decision to Hold Graduation in a Cathedral

(Washington, D.C.) -  The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) announced today that it will defend the Enfield (Conn.) School District in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State over the school districts decision to hold this year's high school graduations at First Cathedral in Bloomfield. 

The use of First Cathedral by the Enfield Board of Education does not constitute a violation of the Establishment Clause of the Constitution, said Vince McCarthy, ACLJ Senior Counsel, representing the school district. The law in this area is clear and well established and the United States Supreme Court has decided numerous cases involving public schools and the Establishment Clause.  Once again, those seeking to marginalize religion in America have turned the clearly secular use of a religious building into needless litigation.

The main reason the Enfield School District chose to hold graduation at Bloomfield Cathedral was financial.  In June 2009, The Enfield School District set aside a budget of $32,000 for graduations in 2010.  The Cathedral is $8,000 to $40,000 cheaper than holding graduations at comparable facilities.  Additionally, other venues were explored, each costing substantially more than First Cathedral.

While the Bloomfield Cathedral is an affordable venue, it also provides the best amenities, offering ample seating and parking, advanced audio visual capabilities and general comfort for graduates and their families.  In addition, student support for the cathedral venue is strong.  Student Board of Education representatives from both Enfield and Fermi High School stated that, after polling their fellow classmates, the vast majority wanted graduation to be held at the cathedral.  Also, students at both high schools signed a petition in support of the cathedral venue.

This case will be another opportunity to demonstrate that religious phobia does not need to overrun common sense, said McCarthy.

Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice focuses on constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C.