Last year I wrote about Westview High School teacher Brad Johnson who was ordered by school officials to remove a banner from his classroom containing such phrases as “In God We Trust,” “One Nation Under God,” “God Bless America,” “God Shed His Grace on Thee” and “All Men Are Created Equal, They are Endowed By Their Creator”. Good news today as U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez ruled that school officials cannot tell Johnson to take down the banner:

A federal judge has ruled that school officials can’t tell a Rancho Peñasquitos math teacher to take down banners he has had on his classroom walls for years proclaiming “In God We Trust,” “God Bless America,” and other sayings.

Benitez noted the school district allows other teachers to choose what they display on their walls, including Tibetan prayer flags and posters of Buddhist and Islamic messages.

“By squelching only Johnson’s patriotic expression, the school district does a disservice to the students of Westview High School and the federal and state constitutions do not permit such one-sided censorship,” he wrote.

The banners also said “One Nation Under God,” “God Shed His Grace On Thee,” and “All Men Are Created Equal, They Are Endowed By Their Creator.”

Benitez said the banners aren’t religious and “do not advocate” for the divine.

“Instead they highlight historic and patriotic themes that in themselves have acknowledged God’s existence,” he said.

This was similar to my argument at the time the lawsuit was filed:

Obviously a history teacher speaking about the Declaration of Independence would not be expected to strike the words ‘endowed by their creator’ from his lecture, nor would the school be expected to inform students not to use the words ‘one nation under God’ when reciting the pledge of allegiance.

Although I am sure we will see either an appeal from the school board, or a new lawsuit filed by a parent whose child is “offended’ by the words, for now we can score a victory for common sense and free speech.

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Constitution, Education, First Amendment, Religion