An Ohio middle school has removed a 1920s-era Ten Commandments plaque following complaints from an atheist organization.
The plaque at Welty Middle School in New Philadelphia, Ohio, was a gift from the Class of 1926 to the school district in 1972 and had been on display for 92 years until the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation got involved. The organization, in an April letter to the district, called the plaque a “fragrant violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.”
“The district’s promotion of the Judeo-Christian bible and religion over nonreligion impermissibly turns any non-Christian or non-believing student into an outsider,” the letter said. “Schoolchildren already feel significant pressure to conform to their peers. They must not be subjected to similar pressure from their schools, especially on religious questions.”
Brian J. DeSantis, an attorney representing the school district, said in a June 19 email the plaque had been removed. But that doesn’t mean the district agrees with the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
“With over 90 years on display, the plaque is recognized as part of the tradition and history of New Philadelphia City Schools,” New Philadelphia Schools Superintendent David…
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