(Washington, DC) – The American Center for Law and Justice, an international public interest law firm, said today’s order by the U.S. Supreme Court to let stand a lower court ruling that permits student-led prayer at graduation to continue in Florida represents the “correct and proper” approach to this thorny church-state issue.

“By not taking this case, the Supreme Court clears the way for student-led prayer at graduation to continue in Jacksonville, Florida high schools,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, which is involved in student-led prayer issues.  “We believe the federal appeals court ruled correctly in the Florida case and we’re delighted that the Supreme Court will let that decision stand.  At a time when there is a tremendous desire to include religious expression in our nation’s schools, it is proper and constitutional that students be permitted to include a prayer at graduation if they so desire.  The Supreme Court has exhibited the correct and proper approach by staying out of the Florida case.”

The U.S. Supreme Court today said it would not take the Florida case of Adler v. Duval County School Board.  The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a Florida policy permitting student leaders to include a message of prayer at graduation if they so desired was constitutional.  The appeals court found the policy constitutional again after reviewing the case at the direction of the Supreme Court – in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in 2000 in a Texas case that barred student-led prayers at high school football games.