Yes, Prayer is a Protected Right, By Kelly Shackelford of Liberty Institute

Last week, the Americans United for Separation of Church & State, who lost their case to censor student speech at a  high school graduation ceremony, just outside of San Antonio, had their op-ed printed in the San Antionio Express News.

Our turn. http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/Yes-prayer-a-protected-right-1431271.php

This Op-ed was written by Kelly Shackelford, lawyer and President/CEO of Liberty Institute (we represented the valedictorian, Angela Hildenbrand in this case).

Yes, prayer a protected right – Editorial on Medina Valley High School Graduation

Yesterday, Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO of Liberty Institute, wrote an editorial on the Medina Valley High School Graduation and on the importance of the freedom of religious speech and expression. Excerpts from the editorial:

“Freedom isn’t that complicated. As freedom-loving Americans, we all know when it is violated. This is why there was an immediate and clear public outcry when there was an attempt to censor citizens’ speech at the Medina Valley High School graduation. Most everyone knew that this attempt, backed by threat of “incarceration,” was wrong.

No citizen has the right to ask the government to bind and gag the free speech of another citizen. That is as antithetical to the foundation of this great country as can be imagined. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the family’s attempt to justify their position of censoring the free speech of students and citizens. Rightly so.”

Read the entire editorial here: http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/Yes-prayer-a-protected-right-1431271.php#ixzz1PpsICCru

Video: Angela Hildenbrand’s full speech from the Medina Valley High School Graduation

Angela Hildenbrand’s full speech from the Medina Valley High School Graduation (her prayer starts at around 7:05 minutes in).

Liberty Institute on Fox News this Morning

I was on Fox News this morning with Angela Hildenbrand, class valedictorian and Liberty Institute client, to discuss the Medina Valley High School Graduation.  The video of the interview is below.

Live-from Texas HS graduation ceremony, prayer allowed by appeals court reversal

Update: Angela Hildenbrand, class valedictorian and Liberty Institute client, just sang the national anthem and it was incredible!  She also delivered her speech and included a prayer.

Medina Valley Graduation ceremony has started, lots of signs in support of free speech, prayer.

Victory! Injunction Against Prayer At Graduation Thrown Out; Appeals Court Overturns Ban on Prayer at Texas Graduation

Victory for student speech.  Federal appeals court overtturns outrageous decision by district court judge on prayer at high school graduation at Medina Valley High School in Texas.

06-03-11 Statement on wining Free SPeech at Graduation Case

Gov. Perry Statement On Appeals Court Supporting Prayer at Graduation

TX Attorney General Statement

Liberty Institute Files Motion To Protect Prayer of Texas High School Valedictorian

This is an update regarding the Medina Valley issue in Texas where the Americans United for Separation of Church & State has filed a lawsuit.  Attorney General Greg Abbott has also his intent to file a brief on this issue, supporting an individual’s right to pray.

Our press release on the court motion we filed, is here. http://libertyinstitute.org/current_cases.php?category=6&article=217