High School Valedictorian Files Intervention Into Lawsuit on Appeal to Pray at Graduation

Federal Judge Banned Prayer, Religious References at San Antonio-Area Graduation

SAN ANTONIO, June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  Today, Liberty Institute filed an emergency motion for intervention and request for relief from temporary restraining order on behalf of the Medina Valley High School valedictorian who is being censored from praying during her commencement speech on June 4.   The school district, supported by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, just filed an emergency appeal at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

"The judge's ruling banning prayer and religious references violates Angela Hildenbrand's constitutional right to freely express her religious beliefs," said Erin Leu, attorney at Liberty Institute. "The Supreme Court has repeatedly called for an end to religious viewpoint discrimination, and attempts to censor Ms. Hildenbrand's speech solely for religious references are unconstitutional and without legal basis."

Angela Hildenbrand, valedictorian of Medina Valley High School, planned to offer a prayer and say the words "Lord," "in Jesus' name," and "amen" during her speech at the graduation ceremony, but federal district judge Fred Biery's temporary restraining order issued yesterday not only disallows the school's "invocation" and "benediction," but bans prayer at the ceremony, regardless of whether it is student-led.

The lawsuit against Medina Valley Independent School District was filed last week by an agnostic couple represented by Americans United for Separation of Church and State whose son threatened not to attend his graduation if there was a prayer. The judge ruled in favor of the agnostic family, and said that students may present their own beliefs but cannot call for prayer or deliver a message that could be understood as a prayer. He amended his ruling this morning, which still bans Ms. Hildenbrand's prayer in her speech.

"During my speech, I had hoped to use prayer to encourage my fellow graduates to trust God's plan for their lives, but because of the judge's ruling, I won't be allowed to do so," said Angela Hildenbrand, valedictorian of Medina Valley High School's class of 2011. "I am horrified that after all that I have learned about the freedom of speech and religion in our country, I would be asked to remove a reference to my faith. I pray that the Fifth Circuit Court will overturn this judge's ruling and allow me to freely express my religious viewpoint at my high school graduation this Saturday."

View the emergency motion to intervene.

Liberty Institute is a nonprofit policy and legal organization committed to protecting First Amendment and Constitutional freedoms. Just last week, the Institute successfully represented a Houston pastor banned from praying in Jesus' name at a Memorial Day event.

For more information, visit www.libertyinstitute.org.

SOURCE Liberty Institute