AP: Graduation at N.J. Church Sparks Lawsuit

[Hissyspit]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CHURCH_GRADUATION_SUIT?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

Mar 8, 5:23 AM EST
Graduation at N.J. Church Sparks Lawsuit

By CHRIS NEWMARKER
Associated Press Writer

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Newark public school district, saying a school's decision to hold its graduation ceremonies in a Baptist church violated a Muslim student's religious freedom.

The New Jersey ACLU said Wednesday that it was suing the school district because its decision to hold graduation in the church prevented West Side High School senior Bilal Shareef, a Muslim, from attending. Shareef's religious beliefs forbid him from entering a building with religious images, the civil liberties group said.

The incident violated provisions in the state constitution prohibiting public institutions from showing a preference for certain religious sects over others; compelling people to attend a place of worship; and segregating or discriminating against public school students because of their religious principles, the ACLU-NJ asserts.

"Schools should not sponsor activities that exclude some students from participation on the basis of religious belief," said ACLU-NJ's legal director, Ed Barocas, who is representing Shareef and his father.

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[MADem]

1. He will have trouble voting in some precincts, too, then

If his precinct ends up in a church basement, which has been known to happen.

He'll have to ask for an absentee ballot.

That said, the principal of that school is a deliberate asshole, and the legal director is a prevaricating turd:
The ACLU-NJ said it first complained about a West Side High School graduation at New Hope Baptist Church in 2005, but agreed not to sue when the district's legal director made assurances that the school district would avoid holding a graduation at a religious location again.

But in 2006, graduation was again held at New Hope. And the principal at the time even told graduating students that they would get two additional tickets for family and friends to go to the graduation, provided they also attended a separate religious baccalaureate ceremony for the class at a Roman Catholic church, according to the civil liberties group.

"Insha' Allah (God-willing), this lawsuit will ensure that students from all religious backgrounds will have their rights and religious beliefs respected," Ahmad Shareef, the graduate's father, said in statement released by the ACLU-NJ.

With about 43,000 students, the urban district is the state's largest. It's also among 31 districts in the state's neediest areas that get special financial aid.

[boilerbabe]

3. Your'e right!

My last polling place was at the Knights of Columbus, but you really didn't see much of an overt religious nature (or I just didn't notice?).

[boilerbabe]

2. What happened to separation of church and state?

Just imagine if they tried to hold the graduation in a Mosque! Do they have an excuse, like their gym burned down?

[salin]

4. The largest district in the state - doesn't have a single venue within the district

to hold a high school graduation? No gym (where both of my nephews, from two different high schools, recently walked through hs graduation ceremonies)? No auditorium? The question begs to be asked - why did the ceremony have to be off campus in the first place? This is when I get suspicious - did someone with ties to an administrator or Board Member set up the deal to *lease* the space (that is get public $s) On the surface the decision doesn't make sense to me.

[LibDemAlways]

5. There must be some venue nearby that is not

religious in nature. My daughter's middle school doesn't have a room big enough to hold a graduation ceremony. Usually it's held at a local high school, but this year it will be at the local civic center.

I can't believe that a church is the only option.

[Javaman]

6. Honestly, what the hell were they thinking?

Sigh.

I get so tired of living in an alternative universe.

[loveandlight]

7. no thinking involved, they just push their agenda...

I live in NJ and I have to say it is said to read this. It really is tiring. They are so diligent in doing "God's work." It's hard to keep up. And how they've managed to turn around freedom of religion in this country to be about freedom for their religion only is truly amazing to me. Every day, so many times, it is impossible to keep up. Relentless pounding of the message, so it is almost a given among the populace that freedom of religion is just what the Christians say and nothing else. So not what the founders had in mind. Scary scary world where everything gets turned up on its head and seems normal that way.

[hedgehog]

8. It's possible that the church has the largest assembly space in the district.

That's the case in my rural small city. We used the Vets Memorial for graduation s, but in the winter it's an ice skating rink. The largest inside assembly spot then is my church.

On the other hand, awarding extra tickets for attending the baccalaureate is over the top.

By the way, unless there's a big stained glass window of Jesus as the Good shepherd, i doubt there are many religious images in the Baptist Church in question beyond a plain cross.