Judge rules in favor of school, but affirms bigotry

From the Ass. Press:

A federal court judge today denied a request to stop Palm Bay High School's graduation at a local church, but admonished the Brevard School District for scheduling it at a religious facility.

Circuit Judge Gregory Presnell said the Palm Bay parents waited too long to file the request to have the religious symbols at Calvary Chapel in West Melbourne covered during the ceremony or to move the graduation to another site. But four schools have graduations scheduled at the church and the first has its ceremony Thursday night.

Presnell said that having the ceremonies at the church was indeed unconstitutional and that the school board should have known better.

"I don't necessarily approve of the school board's decision because it seems clear to me that a secular facility without these religious icons should have been chosen," Presnell said from the bench....

Those suing are Jennifer Musgrove, a senior graduating from Palm Bay High; her Buddhist father, David Musgrove; and Dianna Narciso, whose son is a ninth-grader at Palm Bay. Narciso founded the Space Coast Freethought Association, and wrote the book "Like Rolling Uphill: Realizing The Honesty Of Atheism."

So according to Judge Gregory Presnell bigotry and intolerance is constitutional?!? Since when? How much harm would it do these kids to see a cross or a Bible from a distance. What, are they vampires?

Coverage: Outside the Beltway

Posted by Danny Carlton at May 19, 2005 08:00 AM