In my communications ethics class, we discussed an issue that came up this October in Kountze, Texas where a public high school cheerleading squad created banners for the football games that consisted of Biblical phases. They called these banners “Spirit Signs.” Since it is a public high school, this breaks the law of the separation of church and state, which states, “government must maintain an attitude of neutrality toward religion.” Knowing this, the school district told the cheerleaders they could not use the signs anymore, so they took the issue to court. This brings up an ethical and legal question. In my opinion, this case isn’t unethical for a couple reasons.
- Following an Example: The football coach would have the team say a pray before the game. This is where the cheerleaders got the idea. The way I see it, they were just following an example set by the coaches. If anyone is at fault, it should be the coaches. They are aware of the separation of church and state laws, and by using prayers before a game, they could be seen as bringing church into the school. When the cheerleaders see this happening, they are given the idea that it is okay for them to do that too. Many of the cheerleaders have said they didn’t think it was a big deal or would cause this many issues. I can see where they wouldn’t think it would case too many issues. Texas (like most southern states) is a state that shows its spirituality more publicly than others. When raised in that kind of environment, it doesn’t seem like there would be an issue if the spirit signs were made and used at the football game. I could see this being a bigger issue in a state like Michigan where people do not express their religion as publicly.
- Freedom of Expression: The cheerleaders of the high school claim they are exercising their right to free expression. Their parents agree. When the cheerleaders took this to court the defense set by their attorney was freedom of expression. He made it clear that it’s not one cheerleader that creates these banners. It happens on a rotating basis and each girl gets to have her voice heard through these banners. The cheerleaders and parents have said that this isn’t violating separation of church and state because the banners are not school speech, it is individual speech that happens to take place on school ground. The way I see it, it would be like if someone said a prayer before taking a test. Many people look to God or their religion for strength. Clearly the football team and cheerleaders think this way and apply it to their game night rituals.
Apparently I’m not the only one that sees this case as an okay thing to do. When taken the court, the judge ruled in the cheerleaders favor, at least temporarily. The cheerleaders are allowed to continue to use their bible verse banners pending the outcome of a lawsuit scheduled for June 24, 2013. Governor Rick Perry and Attorney General Greg Abbott both agree with the judge’s ruling. They believe the banners are within the cheerleaders’ right to freedom of expression.
Freedom of speech can be a very tricky topic, which is why it comes up in communication ethics all the time.
See my presentation here.
Muffy Lavens 