Rhode Island Federal Judge Orders Removal Of Prayer Banner In High school

By Jamila Bey

A federal judge has ordered the immediate removal of a prayer mural, which was displayed in the auditorium of a Rhode Island public high school.

Jessica Ahlquist is a teenage atheist student at Cranston High School West who demanded that the banner be removed because it promoted a religion.

She said it was offensive to non-Christians. However, city officials said the mural was just a historical artifact and, even though it began with the words “Our Heavenly Father” and ended with “Amen”, it wasn’t really a prayer and was just an encouragement for the students to achieve.

Steven Brown, the executive director of Rhode Island’s American Civil Liberties Union, says Jessica has been continuously threatened over this law suit.