Humanist Group to Appeal South Carolina Court Decision on Religious Graduations

By AHA

Attorneys at the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center will appeal yesterday’s ruling by the United States District Court of South Carolina, which upheld a public school district’s practice of permitting the delivery of Christian prayers at graduation ceremonies.

“It’s a sad day when the courts allow students to be subjected to Christian prayers during what should be a secular graduation ceremony,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “These prayers exclude kids and families of minority faiths and no faith.”

The Court’s ruling partially favors the American Humanist Association by enjoining the school district’s prayer policy prior to 2013, which explicitly included prayer. However, the ruling still allows the Greenville County School District to include Christian prayers at public school graduations.

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