Nearly a decade after the event was held amid a crime spree, a federal judge Wednesday ruled that the city of Ocala violated the U.S. Constitution in organizing and carrying out a prayer vigil. U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan issued a 50-page decision that sided with atheists, who argued the prayer vigil in a town square violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.
church and state
Would Daily Moment of Silence Help Florida Students with Stress or Just Steal More Instruction Time?
The Florida Senate passed legislation that would require every first-period teacher to set aside one to two minutes for a moment of silence. That would be every school day, meaning roughly 180 days in the academic year.
Gov. DeSantis Could Use a Civics Lesson on the Florida Constitution
Even as they push a $106 million proposal to improve civics education, our legislators and our governor persist in violating the Constitution by supporting legislation authorizing programs to send nearly $1 billion to private, religious schools in our state.
Vast Voucher Expansion Would Include Homeschooled and Private-School Students, at Taxpayers’ Expense
The plan would allow students who have never been enrolled in public schools to participate in the tax-supported program. The expansion would include students who attend private or religious school or are homeschooled.
The Trump Administration’s Final Push to Make It Easier for Religious Employers to Discriminate
Last-minute policies on religious freedom clear the way for employers to hire on the basis of faith. Some of the changes won’t be easy for Biden to undo.
Florida Lawmakers Again Will Consider Requiring Moment of Silence in Schools
An effort to require public-school students to engage in a moment of silence at the start of each school day is back before the state Legislature. Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, refiled legislation (SB 282) on Thursday that would require principals to direct first-period teachers to set aside one to two minutes for “quiet reflection.”
Supreme Court’s Endorsement of Taxpayer-Funded Vouchers for Parochial Schools Undermines Rights
Public dollars should fund public schools, which educate 90 percent of our nation’s students, argues Rachel Laser of Americans United for Separation of Church and State in response to the Supreme Court’s decision clearing the way for taxpayer vouchers for private, parochial schools.
Florida House Speeding Toward Proposal to Allow Stadium-Wide Prayers at High School Games
Amid a long-running legal battle, the Florida House on Friday moved forward with a proposal that could allow schools to offer prayers over public-address systems before events such as high-school championship football games.
‘This Will Not Stand’: Flagler Commission Prayer Draws Hint of Lawsuit as County Attorney Adamantly Defends Practice
As Mike Cocchiola, a member of the local ACLU chapter, suggested legal action may follow, County Attorney Al Hadeed “absolutely” defended the Flagler County Commission chairman opening sessions with a prayer. Hadeed overstated the actual legality of the practice, which courts are still contending.
Flagler Politicians, Take Note: Brevard Taxpayers Just Paid $490,000 to Settle Illegal Christian Prayers at Meetings
Just as Flagler County commissioners started proffering prayers at public meetings, as the school board almost did, the Brevard County Commission paid out $490,000 in a settlement for doing so illegally for years.