Supreme Court Maintains Ban on Graduations in Churches
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News)– The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower court ruling that a Wisconsin high school acted unconstitutionally when it held its graduation ceremonies in a local church, according to the Religion News Service.
After Elmbrook Church served as the site for several local graduation ceremonies, an appeals court ruled those ceremonies unconstitutional as they violated the separation of church and state. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case, thus affirming the lower court's decision.
Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented in the decision to let the lower court ruling stand.
"We are very pleased that the decision of the appeals court will stand," said Alex J. Luchenitser, associate legal director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
"Church buildings should not be treated like toxic warehouses simply because they normally house religious activities," said David Cortman, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom. "We hope the Supreme Court will clearly affirm in a future case that government neutrality toward religion is not achieved by treating it like asbestos in the ceiling tiles of society."