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Lay, Freeman Defense Fund Surpasses $32,000 In ACLU Prayer Case
August 23, 2009
The criminal defense fund for Frank Lay and Robert Freemen continues to grow.
Lay, the Pace High School principal, and Freeman, Pace athletic director, face federal criminal charges for praying before a meal at a field house dedication despite an order against prayer in Santa Rosa County Schools issued in response to an ACLU lawsuit.
Started on Monday, August 3, the fund was at $5,220 by Thursday, August 6. By this past Friday, the fund balance was at $32,246.81. The funds will be used to pay the legal expenses for Lay and Freeman, and fund organizers say that if there are any funds leftover after all legal fees are paid, they will be donated to the Liberty Counsel. The non-profit Liberty Counsel provides legal services and actively fights the ACLU.
The Liberty Counsel was actively involved in the defense of Michelle Winkler, cleared by a federal judge on Friday on charges she violated the no-prayer order. (Read more here.)
A web site set up for the two men, layfreemandefense.com, asks supporters to make donations to the Lay and Freeman Defense Fund at any First National Bank of Florida. The site is also selling t-shirts for $10 and plans a fund raising supper and concert September 10 at the Farmer’s Opry in Chumuckla.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in federal court almost a year ago against the Santa Rosa School District, Pace High School Principal Frank Lay and then-Santa Rosa Superintendent John Rogers. The suit alleged that Santa Rosa County Schools “persistently and persuasively promote their personal religious beliefs in the public schools and at school events”.
A federal court order earlier this year prohibited, among other things, any prayer in schools, “reading from a sacred text”, “calling upon a deity to offer guidance, assistance or a blessing” and religious services such as baccalaureate services. There are circumstances were student-led prayers are permissible, but school employees are prohibited to participate in the prayer, even prohibited from “a posture or manner that is likely to be perceived as an endorsement of prayer, e.g. bowing their heads, kneeling or folding their hands”.
Comments
5 Responses to “Lay, Freeman Defense Fund Surpasses $32,000 In ACLU Prayer Case”
I would think the First Amendment would throw this right out of court in the first 5 minutes or less.
What has happened to our freedom? In my opinion, the ACLU is one of our biggest threats to our country. I almost never see anything they are for that I am not against and vice-versa!
I even thought twice before writing this, a niggling thought in the back of my head – what if they come after me? Just for voicing my opinion. In America, one should not have to have this kind of fear.
My prayers are with Mr. Lee and Mr. Freeman.
One teacher and the school principal from our local high school are being sued by the ACLU for praying before eating at a school meeting of nine people. Something they have always done for years. Now they are faced with 6 months in jail, $6000 fines, loss of jobs, and loss of pensions. They also have to pay for their own defense. The court case is going to cost our county (Santa Rosa County, Florida) $500,000. These two individuals have a total of 57 years experience between them. Donations can be made at this web site: layfreemandefense.com. Look up ACLU versus Pace High School in your browsers for more information. May God bless America.
From the aclu website:
“The ACLU is our nation’s guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
These rights include:
* Your First Amendment rights – freedom of speech, association and assembly; freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. ”
Makes one wonder what freedom of religion means.
The goverment has no right to say when and where we can pray. Pick up your crosses people and let’s take back our nation. Take a stand now.
Remember from the years of reading in Revelations. I remember many years back when the preacher spoke of the things that would come to pass. i never thought back then that someone would actually face criminal charges for praying in public, like some communist run country, but i was wrong. stand by your beliefs in the end God will preveil and those who persecute you will stand to his judgement.