Another TX court vindicates religious liberty
A case in favor of high school cheerleaders is a really important decision for students across the country because it protects their private speech – even that which is religious.
Last week (September 28), the Court of Appeals for the Ninth District of Texas ruled in favor of the Kountze cheerleaders in the case of Matthews v. Kountze Independent School District. That victory comes almost 20 months after the Texas Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of the cheerleaders.
In 2012, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) learned the cheerleaders were putting Bible verses on “breakaway” banners made and used by the cheerleaders. FFRF filed a complaint with the district and the superintendent banned all religious banners.
Dys“This [Ninth District ruling] is a really important decision for students across this country,” says Jeremy Dys, deputy general counsel for First Liberty. “What the court has done here is to confirm that students who pick a message and convey that message on school grounds … still retain their First Amendment rights. It’s protected speech underneath the First Amendment.”
Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) filed an amicus brief in support of the cheerleaders in the Supreme Court of Texas, as did Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Leave a Reply