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Dear John,
We just received a critical update regarding one of our most important federal appeals court cases...and I wanted to quickly share the good news with you.
Yesterday, the 11th Circuit overturned the District Court’s dismissal of Cambridge Christian School’s free speech and free exercise claims when they were told they couldn’t pray over the loudspeaker before a football game.
To refresh your memory, this case dates back to 2015, when a state agency, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), forbade CCS from praying over the loudspeaker at the Citrus Bowl ahead of their state championship football game.
In February 2017, a federal district judge sided with the FHSAA, ruling that allowing two private Christian schools to pray over a state-owned microphone for less than a minute would be in violation of the Constitution.
That’s why yesterday’s decision by the 11th Circuit’s is a significant victory. It reverses the lower court’s ruling, and it gives us a strong legal standing when we proceed to present the case once again at the district court.
In light of this triumph, I want to briefly thank you for your ongoing support. Because of your commitment to First Liberty and religious freedom, we can continue to be First in the Fight for the rights of faith-based schools like CCS. It’s in large part because of you that today we can celebrate having won this federal appeal.
There is still much litigating and fighting ahead of us, but we are certainly in a great position to achieve a final victory for Cambridge Christian and to potentially set a precedent for students and religious institutions across the country.
Be sure to follow our social media channels and email communications so you can stay up-to-date on any developments in this case, as well as other crucial cases we’re fighting to defend religious liberty in our schools and for our nation’s students.
Gratefully,
Kelly
Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq.
President, CEO & Chief Counsel
First Liberty Institute
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