The two banners, each about 7 feet by 2 feet, contained references to God from U.S. documents and patriotic songs. One quoted the Declaration of Independence passage that all men are “endowed by their CREATOR” with unalienable rights . . . Johnson’s lawyer, Robert Meuse of the Thomas More Law Center, a conservative Christian firm, said he was disappointed by the ruling and would ask the full appeals court for a rehearing . . . The schools’ lawyer, Jack Sleeth, said the ruling reaffirmed “a district’s authority to control a teacher in the classroom” and was only incidentally about religion. But Rob Boston, spokesman for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the court had strongly supported public schools’ duty of religious neutrality. Read more . . . 

As for the religious environment, the U.S. Constitution doesn’t shield someone from encountering others’ religious beliefs and symbols, he said . . . Graduates were compelled to enter “a sacred space” and had to view religious symbols such as a 20-foot cross that towered over the graduation proceedings, religious pamphlets and hymnals, which imposed religion upon them and sent a message the government was endorsing religion, they contended . . . The question now is what implications this will have for Christian administrators of public schools who will see this ruling as a green light to move their own graduation ceremonies to local churches. Read more . . .