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High School Cheerleaders Cannot Carry Religious Banners On Field

By Howard M. Friedman

Yesterday's Chattanooga (TN) Times Free Press reports on a new variation of the dispute over mixing of religion and high school football. In Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, since 2003 Fort Oglethorpe High School cheerleaders have displayed religious banners that the football players crash through at the beginning of games. The banners urge fans and players to "commit to the Lord" and "take courage and do it." After a complaint from a local resident, the school board prohibited the banners, agreeing that the display of Biblical verses on the football field violates the 1st Amendment. This led to a community rally in support of the cheerleaders and strong statements supporting them from Fort Oglethorpe Mayor Ronnie Cobb who said: "If it's offensive to anyone, let them go watch another football game. Nobody's forced to come there and nobody?s forced to read the signs." Meanwhile, an area outside the stadium has been set aside so the signs can be displayed there. Several of the players, upset by the ruling, protested by holding a team prayer after they took the field last week.

An attorney for the Christian Law Association has been advising those upset with the school's ruling on at least two alternative routes, according to Chattanoogan.com. Barbara J. Weller says that while the students may not continue to put Bible verses on the banners they have been making officially for the games, they can make other banners with Bible verses on them, as long as they make the banners at home and bring them to the games on their own, without the school's approval, permission or participation. She also says that the school should not be able to prohibit banners that merely used the words, "Power, Love, Self Discipline" without reference to the Bible verse that includes them.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on September 30, 2009 (boomark / email).