OFFLINE

A New Jersey high school with a 70-year tradition of hosting graduation ceremonies in a historic auditorium is standing firm against legal threats from the American Civil Liberties Union, which claims the event violates the separation of church and state because of the Christian-owned site's religious displays.

For generations, graduates of Neptune High School have walked down the aisle of the Great Auditorium in Ocean Grove, where the impressive 6,500-seat venue dominates the landscape of one of the area’s most historic beach towns. Built in 1894, the auditorium is owned and operated by the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, a Methodist group that owns not just the building, but all of the land beneath every home and structure in town.

The ACLU of New Jersey threatened legal action against the Neptune school district after an attendee at last year’s graduation ceremony took offense to the building’s religious symbols and Christian-based references -- among them a 20-foot white cross above the auditorium’s entrance. The ACLU asked the school to remove or cover up the cross and three other religious signs, arguing their visibility during a public school event is a First Amendment violation.

School officials responded by agreeing to change the graduation program to remove the student-led invocation and two hymns -- one titled “Onward Christian Soldiers” -- to rid the ceremony of any religious references.

“The program was not of a religious nature -- it was more tradition than anything else,” said Neptune Public Schools Superintendent David Mooij. “But we decided we would change the program and delete the things this individual found offensive.”

Removing or covering up the cross was another matter. The Camp Association said it could not cover the cross, said to have been a gift from movie director Woody Allen, who used the auditorium during shooting for the 1980 film "Stardust Memories." Nor would they cover up the two illuminated indoor signs – “Holiest to the Lord” and “So Be Ye Holy” – which are said to be the oldest operating electric signs in America.

“The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is a Christian ministry, and we can’t change who we are,” said Scott Hoffman, the group’s chief operating officer. “We want this tradition to keep going as badly as anyone, but not at the expense of who we are.”

Mooij said the ACLU then requested that the school change its venue for the June 17 graduation – a move he said isn’t feasible. “We already printed 3,000 tickets, and there’s no comparable size venue anywhere around us.”

Mooij said the school board received a letter on Thursday from the ACLU saying they would “likely have to take legal recourse” if their demands to cover the cross and signs were not met.

An ACLU spokeswoman would not comment on what, if any, legal action is pending, saying only that the organization is working to resolve the matter through negotiations with the school.

The Great Auditorium, a nationally recognized landmark, is steeped in history. The building has hosted Ulysses S. Grant and six other U.S. presidents, as well as 27 of New Jersey’s governors. Mark Twain was a member of the auditorium’s board of directors, and religious leaders like the Rev. Billy Graham have spoken there.

The auditorium also functions as a concert venue for many secular events and has hosted acts as varied as the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra Jr., and Peter, Paul and Mary.

As for now, Mooij said the school has every intention of sticking with its graduation plans.

“There’s a lot of tradition in this community about using this building,” he said. “We’re hoping that it could be resolved through negotiations,” he said, “But we aren’t there yet.”


this superintendent has a lot of guts, and i hope he stands strong. the ACLU has been bullying school districts around like this through intimidation for too long.

OFFLINE

I mentioned this on my profile wall.  The 1st Amendment means that Congress will not establish a religion (ie a state religion like a Church of the United States) or prohibit your right to worship.

It does NOT mean state or govt must cover up crosses, remove religious imagery, etc. I'm glad to see this school stand up to these ACLU thugs.

OFFLINE

"School officials responded by agreeing to change the graduation program to remove the student-led invocation and two hymns -- one titled “Onward Christian Soldiers” -- to rid the ceremony of any religious references. "

The inclusion of an invocation and Christian hymns would have been a blatant violation, and could perhaps create the reasonable implication that the use of facility for commencement was also meant to be Christian.  Its a dicey issue, but the school might have a case if using the building.  In the area I'm from many of the Christian summer camps rent out their facilities for elementary school science camps during the off season.  While the religious symbols are still there, the exclusion of religious activities from the itinerary prevent any religious implications for the schools use of the facility.

@ Dennis:  It prohibits congress from establishing any religion as an official religion both implicitly and explicitly.  As I've pointed out before, the 14th amendment applies the bill of rights to the state governments, of which the public schools are part.

OFFLINE

Originally Posted by Bryant Platt:

@ Dennis:  It prohibits congress from establishing any religion as an official religion both implicitly and explicitly.  As I've pointed out before, the 14th amendment applies the bill of rights to the state governments, of which the public schools are part.

you're still gonna have a tough time finding it in the u.s. const, that there can be no religious symbols or utterances anywhere on public land, or at a public event. that interpretation runs completely contrary to the free exercise clause, which follows the establishment clause. more liberalism run amok.

OFFLINE

Originally Posted by Dødherre Mørktre:

Originally Posted by Bryant Platt:

@ Dennis:  It prohibits congress from establishing any religion as an official religion both implicitly and explicitly.  As I've pointed out before, the 14th amendment applies the bill of rights to the state governments, of which the public schools are part.

you're still gonna have a tough time finding it in the u.s. const, that there can be no religious symbols or utterances anywhere on public land, or at a public event. that interpretation runs completely contrary to the free exercise clause, which follows the establishment clause. more liberalism run amok.

If someone in the crowd wants to jump up and start praying or wants to wear a "I hear Jesus" t-shirt thats all good and fine.  If a government agency (ie public school) leads a prayer or had students sings secular hymns as part of an official action, its then becomes the government dictating a religion of choice, opposite the right of the citizens to free practice.

OFFLINE

The Establishment clause was seen as a reaction to the Church of England, established as the official church of England and some of the colonies, during the colonial era.  But liberals and athiests have used it to try to bully and intimidate, threatening lawsuits against school boards.

The 14th amendment was merely intended to secure rights for former slaves.  Its requires each state to provide equal protection under the law to all people within its jurisdiction.

How it relates to religion, unfortunately is that our Supreme Court saw fit to take a single letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury, Connecticut, Baptist Association.  That letter is not a legal document.  It is merely an opinion by 1 private citizen to the Baptist Association.  Furthermore it is only 1 single line in a much longer letter.

What the SCOTUS has done is impose a law based on a private letter on the entire country.  There was no debate hald by Congress, no vote, the people had no say in the matter.  The Court simply formed an opinion based on 1 line of a letter (which was not a legal document).

Imagine if our Courts established laws based on the writings of John Hagee?  Or Pat Robertson?  Athiests wouldnt like that very much would they?  Liberals would go berserk!  But that is, in essence, what they did with Jefferson's letter.  Furthermore, there is ample evidence that the other Founding Fathers never intended Jefrferson's pov to become a law that punishes 'expression of faith' in our schools.