State Judge Keeps God on the Gridiron
By: Michaela MacDonald
Updated: October 19, 2012
Thursday's court decision to allow bible banners in Kountze, Texas won't change the way the Lubbock Cooper High School cheerleaders cheer on their team.
"It all comes down to the students rights and what they are allowed to do. Those students have the same rights in society as we do to have the freedom of expression freedom of religion and so I don't see a problem with it as long as it didn't cause a huge issue within the student body," said Leslie Ferris, LCHS cheerleading coach.
Ferris says students are responsible for the content of their own signs with little adult input.
She said, "We meet at the beginning of the year and paint all our posters and the students design all the posters. We give some input and guidance but they actually design them, lay them out, draw them, paint them, everything. So they have free reign on it, just with a little bit of guidance."
The case in Kountze started when the school district banned bible verses on signs at public school football games. Cheerleaders and their parents then sued the school claiming it was a freedom of speech issue.
"You can let everybody speak or you can let nobody speak, but you cant just let somebody speak," said Randy Reddick, who teaches a First Amendment class at Texas Tech.
He says its a clash of two different rights guaranteed in the Constitution-- the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion.
Reddick said, "Governments have the ability to regulate time, place and manner, but they cannot get into content."
LCHS Principal Angie Inklebarger says her students are clear on their rights to freedom of expression, and they could make bible signs if they wanted to.
"They have freedom of speech, if its student run and student driven they have permission to do those things," said Inklebarger. "They are entitled to their rights, so if they don't impede or impair other peoples rights they certainly have the ability to exercise those."
"It all comes down to the students rights and what they are allowed to do. Those students have the same rights in society as we do to have the freedom of expression freedom of religion and so I don't see a problem with it as long as it didn't cause a huge issue within the student body," said Leslie Ferris, LCHS cheerleading coach.
Ferris says students are responsible for the content of their own signs with little adult input.
She said, "We meet at the beginning of the year and paint all our posters and the students design all the posters. We give some input and guidance but they actually design them, lay them out, draw them, paint them, everything. So they have free reign on it, just with a little bit of guidance."
The case in Kountze started when the school district banned bible verses on signs at public school football games. Cheerleaders and their parents then sued the school claiming it was a freedom of speech issue.
"You can let everybody speak or you can let nobody speak, but you cant just let somebody speak," said Randy Reddick, who teaches a First Amendment class at Texas Tech.
He says its a clash of two different rights guaranteed in the Constitution-- the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion.
Reddick said, "Governments have the ability to regulate time, place and manner, but they cannot get into content."
LCHS Principal Angie Inklebarger says her students are clear on their rights to freedom of expression, and they could make bible signs if they wanted to.
"They have freedom of speech, if its student run and student driven they have permission to do those things," said Inklebarger. "They are entitled to their rights, so if they don't impede or impair other peoples rights they certainly have the ability to exercise those."
