School district sued over anthem practiced at The Webster School
Parents of two elementary school students last week filed a lawsuit against the St. Johns County School District, saying their children’s constitutional rights were violated when teachers required them to rehearse a song that declares “there’s no doubt” the United States is a Christian nation.
The parents, identified only by initials to prevent revealing the identities of their children, alleged their kids and third-grade classmates at The Webster School were required to sing “In God We Still Trust” during rehearsals for an end-of-the-year assembly.
The song, released in 2005 by country band Diamond Rio, criticized those who advocate keeping government entities — “from the schoolhouse to the courthouse” — secular and claimed “there’s no separation,” referring to the political doctrine of separation of church and state set forth by the First Amendment.