Barry Smitherman Stood for Religious Rights of Kountze Students with Greg Abbott

As Christmas nears, one thing we are talking about is the Merry Christmas bill. The Merry Christmas bill was passed this year to allow teachers and students to be able to celebrate Christmas in schools without fear of lawsuits. This is a great bill, but it only scratches the surface of stopping the attacks against Christianity in schools. The Texas Attorney General is on the front lines defending the religious rights of Texans and Texas Students.

Texas Attorney General Candidate Barry Smitherman does not just stand up for Christian Conservative values, Smitherman goes out of his way to get involved. From rallying against Common Core and CSCOPE, to promoting the Merry Christmas Bill, Smitherman has been there. Just last week, Barry Smitherman went way out of his way to speak at a Women on the Wall #CanISee anti-Common Core community meeting in Frisco, TX organized by Alice Linahan.

Since we are on the topic of standing up for students in Texas, I want to let everyone know about how Smitherman stood up for the religious rights of cheerleaders at Kountze High School. Many people do no know about how Smitherman went out of his way to stand up for the religious rights of students in the small east Texas city of Kountze. Kountze, TX is a small city in Hardin County in East Texas. Last year there was a battle of ideas that occurred here. The Kountze Cheerleaders made their own signs with their own money to hold up at public football games after school. Some of the signs had encouraging Bible verses on them. The Wisconsin based freedom from religion foundation did not like that these signs had Bible verses on them. This anti-Christian organization is known for going around the country finding people to threaten with lawsuits unless they back down from anything that even mentions God. These students have a Constitutional right to express their faith, even in school. Unfortunately, many organizations and individuals do not have the money to fight a lawsuit so they just give in to the demands of the freedom from religion foundation.

These students in Kountze, TX were not backing down from their faith or from their rights. The students and parents started speaking out and created a facebook group. They took a bold stand. Word started to get out about the situation and the cheerleaders got some legal help from the Liberty Institute.

Texas Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman heard about this situation in Kountze, TX. Smitherman probably had lots of important issues on his plate, but he took time to get involved and stood up for these kids in Kountze. I am from Hardin County and I was very involved in standing up for the Kountze Kids. Barry Smitherman personally sent me a hand written statement expressing support for the Kountze Kids and standing up for their Constitutional rights.

See the Kountze Faith letter form Barry Smitherman here

This really impressed me and this is one of the reasons why I really support Barry Smitherman. Smitherman got involved even when no one was looking. His actions are exactly what I would expect from a possible Texas Attorney General. In fact, your current Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott did get involved to defend and protect the religious rights of the Kountze Kids.

Barry Smitherman getting involved over the years from Frisco to Kountze shows me that he have the values and dedication needed to be the next Texas Attorney General.

Kountze ISD Appeals Decision Allowing Students to have Bible Verse Banners

the following article is from DallasNews.com:

Southeast Texas school district files appeal on court ruling on cheerleaders' Bible-verse banners

The Associated Press


BEAUMONT — A Southeast Texas school district is appealing a court ruling that allowed high school cheerleaders to display at football games banners emblazoned with Bible verses.

The Kountze district filed the appeal Tuesday. The district says it wants the 9th Texas Court of Appeals in Beaumont to clarify whether the Kountze High School cheerleaders have a free-speech right to include the religious messages.
The district says state District Judge Steve Thomas ruled the banners were allowed under the U.S. Constitution but stopped short of saying the cheerleaders had a free-speech right to them.

District lawyer Tom Brandt said the cheerleaders’ legal advocates “are reading into the court’s decision rights that just aren’t there.”
The Liberty Institute is a religious rights group representing the cheerleaders. It called the appeal “unfortunate.”

read more here: http://pushjunction.com/l/Coh

Article From Fox News:

Texas judge rules for cheerleaders in Bible banner verse suit

AUSTIN, Texas –  A judge stopped an East Texas school district on Thursday from barring cheerleaders from quoting Bible verses on banners at high school football games, saying the policy appears to violate their free speech rights.
District Judge Steve Thomas granted an injunction requested by the Kountze High School cheerleaders allowing them to continue displaying religious-themed banners pending the outcome of a lawsuit set to go to trial next June 24, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said. Thomas previously granted a temporary restraining order allowing the practice to continue.
School officials barred the cheerleaders from displaying banners with religious messages such as, "If God is for us, who can be against us," after the Freedom From Religion Foundation complained. The advocacy group says the messages violate the First Amendment clause barring the government -- or a publicly funded school district, in this case -- from establishing or endorsing a religion.
Republican Gov. Rick Perry and Abbott spoke out in support of the cheerleaders on Wednesday. Perry appointed Thomas to fill a vacancy on the 356th District Court, and he is running for election to continue in the post as a Republican.
Abbott also filed court papers to intervene in the lawsuit and sent state attorneys to support the cheerleaders' position that the district's ban violated their free speech rights. The Texas Education Code also states that schools must respect the rights of students to express their religious beliefs.
"It is the individual speech of the cheerleaders and not in fact the government speaking," David Starnes, the cheerleaders' attorney said, according to KDFM television. "It is not just one girl or one person in the group that comes up with the quote, but it's on a rotating basis that each girl gets to pick the quote. That is their individual voices that are being portrayed on the banner."


Read reast of story here: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/10/18/judge-expected-to-rule-in-texas-cheerleader-bible-verse-banner-suit/?test=latestnews

 

For more info about this Kountze situation, see these Previous Articles:


Judge's Decision Allows Kountze Cheerleaders to Hold Signs with Bible Verses at Football Game/Rally Friday Oct 5th

Urgent: Support Kountze Kids Faith - Texas Students Fighting for Religious Freedom

Congressman Stockman and Rep. White Support Kountze Kids Faith - Liberty Institute & CLA Send Lawyers

Judge Says Kountze Students ALLOWED to Hold Religious Signs. Restraining Order by Judge Steve Thomas

Student Disciplined for Bible Verse on Face at West Hardin ISD TX Football Game

TX AG Greg Abbott Supports Kountze Cheerleaders Banned from Holding Religious Banners

Kountze Kids Get Support from Barry Smitherman Texas Railroad Commission Chairman

Rep. James White Tells TASB: "Unwarranted" to Ban Religious Student Banners - Letter to Texas Association of School Boards - James Crow

Judge's Decision Allows Kountze Cheerleaders to Hold Signs with Bible Verses at Football Game/Rally Friday Oct 5th

Steve Thomas, Texas State District Judge in Hardin County, has extended his temporary restraining order for 2 more weeks. This extension allows Students in Kountze ISD the ability to hold personally made signs at public school events, even if the signs have Bible Verses or religious encouragements. Judge Thomas had previously granted a temporary restraining order in favor of the cheerleaders who were banned from holding signs or banners at Football games if they contained anything religious on them.

This extra extension was granted so that, before he makes his decision, Judge Thomas can thoroughly review documents submitted by both sides. The Liberty Institute's Mike Johnson, is representing the students. There was even a brief submitted to Judge Thomas from influential Texas authority, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. Abbott took the side of the cheerleaders and said that State Law, the Texas Constitution, and past Court Rulings protect the religious rights of these kids. Abbott went even further to say that the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) was trying to just stir up trouble and has tried to do this in Texas before but has failed. Other Texas Republicans have stood up and expressed support for these students including Congressman Steve Stockman, State Rep. James White, State Board of Education Member David Bradley, and Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman.

Before Judge Thomas granted the extension on the restraining order today, the Superintendent testified that he had acted on bad advice from the school lawyers in banning the signs. The Superintendent, Kevin Weldon, went on to say that he now believes that his decision banning these signs not only violates district policy, but also the rights of the students.

There is a big RALLY tomorrow, Oct 5th 2012 7:30pm at the Kountze High School Football game in Kountze, TX.

Come out to Support the Kountze Kids!

There are thousands of people from everywhere expected to come to this game and hold signs supporting these students and their religious rights.

This will be the first home game since the school district superintendent banned the cheerleaders from holding their signs. This restraining order allows students at this game to hold signs with Bible verses and other religious encouragements.

Show support for this rally on facebook! Go to the rally facebook event page HERE http://www.facebook.com/events/105912862899560/ and click like or click join to tell everyone that you are going and to invite other people to join

also, for more info about the rally: www.SupportKountzeKidsFaith.com


for more info about the Kountze Situation, check out these articles:

Urgent: Support Kountze Kids Faith - Texas Students Fighting for Religious Freedom

Congressman Stockman and Rep. White Support Kountze Kids Faith - Liberty Institute & CLA Send Lawyers

Judge Says Kountze Students ALLOWED to Hold Religious Signs. Restraining Order by Judge Steve Thomas

Student Disciplined for Bible Verse on Face at West Hardin ISD TX Football Game

TX AG Greg Abbott Supports Kountze Cheerleaders Banned from Holding Religious Banners

Kountze Kids Get Support from Barry Smitherman Texas Railroad Commission Chairman

Rep. James White Tells TASB: "Unwarranted" to Ban Religious Student Banners - Letter to Texas Association of School Boards - James Crow

Kountze Kids Get Support from Barry Smitherman Texas Railroad Commission Chairman

Letter from Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman: 

The First Amendment -- it's first in our Bill of Rights for a reason! Religious freedom is very dear to our hearts as Christians and Americans, so we've been thinking a lot about the recent events in East Texas.

We're dealing with an attack on the First Amendment in our state right now. The Kountze cheerleaders are in their right to express their religion at school games because the law is clear -- if participants are free to come and go from an event, then a citizen of this country has the right to express his or her faith at that event. The Kountze superintendent is not just out of line on this, he's out of the bounds of nearly 250 years of American law! Thankfully, a judge has issued a stay on the superintendent's ruling and the cheerleaders will continue to be able to express their faith in accordance with the First Amendment. Thus far, the intention of our Founding Fathers, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech are being protected, but we must continue to pay close attention to this case.

We should be proud of these students for standing up for their faith and being willing to tell others about their beliefs as Christians. How many teens do you know of any faith willing to stand up boldly for what they believe? It's such a hard time for many teenagers who just want to blend in with the crowd. These cheerleaders are truly being individuals here -- isn't that what many liberals want? Just not when it comes to Christians, I'm afraid.

We've raised our children to stand firm in their faith. We've stood by our kids as they've had to make a stand for their beliefs as Christians. It's hard for teens sometimes, and we're just so proud of our state's students in Kountze. We'll be praying that they are able to stand strong in their beliefs and that the First Amendment will be protected in this nation. 

What do you think about what's going on in Kountze? Let us know what you and your family have been talking about in the car or around the dinner table.

- Barry and Marijane

TX AG Greg Abbott Supports Kountze Cheerleaders Banned from Holding Religious Banners

According to KBMT 12 News, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has come out swinging in support of the students at Kountze ISD who were told by the school superintendent that they were not allowed to hold personal signs or banners at public football games if they have Bible Verses or religious encouragements on them.

This situation has made national news and the facebook group "support kountze kids faith" got over 40,000 likes literally overnight.

There is a large RALLY to support these Kountze Kids on Oct 5th at 7:30PM at the Kountze Football Stadium. Thousands of people are expected to show up to the rally.

District Judge Steve Thomas has granted a temporary restraining order that allows students to still hold religious signs. There will be a hearing on Oct 4th to determine if the restraining order will be made permanent.

The letter from AG Abbott came at the request of the Liberty Institute whose lawyer, Michael Johnson, is representing the Kountze students.

In the letter to the Superintendent, Kevin Weldon, Abbott says that it violates the Constitution to ban the signs. Abbott tells the superintendent that, unless the superintendent removes the ban, Kountze ISD will have to answer to the State of Texas because his AG office will be officially backing the cheerleaders in court. Abbott goes on to state that the organization who complained about the signs, Freedom From Religious Foundation (FFRF), has tried to cause trouble like this with other schools in Texas but the organization is wrong and the Courts have rejected FFRF and backed Texas and the religious rights of the students. Abbott also offers support for the school district if they remove the ban and are later sued by the FFRF.

Read the full letter from Attorney General Greg Abbott below:

September 27, 2012

Mr. Kevin Weldon
Superintendent
Kountze Independent School District
P.O. Box 460
Kountze, TX 77625

Dear Superintendent Weldon:

I write to offer my assistance and to provide advice about a menacing and misleading letter you recently received from an organization called the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). That organization has a long history of attempting to bully school districts into adopting restrictive religious speech policies that go well beyond what is required by the United States Constitution. Consistent with that history, the letter you received incorrectly claims that allowing Kountze High School cheerleaders to display banners decorated with Bible verses at football games amounts to a "serious and flagrant violation of the First Amendment." That exaggerated claim is not supported by the Constitution. Instead, it is based solely on FFRF's distorted, anti-religion view of the First Amendment, a view that is unsupported by court precedent and has recently been rejected by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

It appears that your recent decision to prohibit the cheerleaders at Kountze High from displaying their religious messages at football games—a decision that has since been blocked by a court order—was based on a mistaken belief that FFRF's letter correctly interprets the law. Unfortunately, that mistaken belief was apparently reinforced by erroneous advice from the Texas Association of School Boards. Contrary to FFRF's claims, however, the Supreme Court has never held that it is illegal for a public school to "host religious messages at school athletic events." And the Supreme Court has never ruled that religion must be "kept out" of public schools. Instead, each of the Supreme Court cases cited in FFRF's letter involve decisions by public officials to promote a religious message or to direct the content of a private citizen's religious message.

Unlike the cases cited by FFRF, Kountze ISD has neither made the decision to include a religious message on the cheerleaders' banner, nor provided any direction as to the content of the cheerleaders' message. Rather, news reports indicate that these decisions were made entirely by students. Those same news reports also indicate that the banners were made by the cheerleaders off of school property and without the use of school funds. That these students chose to express their religious viewpoint at a school function does not violate the Establishment Clause.

When the school district does not join in the students' religious message or seek to control or direct that message, the cheerleaders' decision to display their banners cannot constitute promotion or imposition of religion by the school district. Rather, the banners are the religious speech of individual students, which enjoys protection under the Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment.

In addition to the protections afforded by the First Amendment, Texas law further protects students' free exercise of religion by requiring school districts to "treat a student's voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint . . . in the same manner the district treats a student's voluntary expression of a secular or other viewpoint." Tex. Educ. Code § 25.151. Moreover, a school district "may not discriminate against the student based on a religious viewpoint expressed by the student on an otherwise permissible subject." Id. To the extent the district seeks to prevent the cheerleaders from displaying their banners because the cheerleaders decided to express a religious—as opposed to a secular—message, it may very well violate section 25.151 of the Texas Education Code.

Think about it: Can a school district or the Freedom From Religion Foundation stop a student from making the sign of the cross before taking a test, or stop football players from pointing toward heaven after scoring a touchdown or kneeling to pray for an injured teammate? Of course not. Just like the cheerleaders' banners, such public displays of religion are voluntary expressions of the students' beliefs and are not attributable to the school district.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently vindicated these legal principles—and rejected FFRF's restrictive view of the First Amendment—in a case involving Medina Valley ISD in Castroville, Texas. In May 2011, a group called Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a lawsuit against Medina Valley in an attempt to prevent student speakers from praying as part of their speech at their graduation ceremony. My office supported the school district by arguing that the First Amendment does not require public schools to interfere with students' right to freely express their religious beliefs. A unanimous panel of three federal appeals judges ruled in favor of the school district and permitted Medina Valley High School seniors to pray at their graduation ceremony. The appeals court explained that there was no showing that the "prayers or other remarks to be given by students at graduation are, in fact, school-sponsored." The same is true here: The cheerleaders are expressing their own beliefs, not those of the school district. Just as Americans United for Separation of Church and State was wrong in Castroville, the Freedom From Religion Foundation is wrong in Kountze.

As the United States Supreme Court has observed, "[w]e are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being." Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306, 313 (1952). And as the Fifth Circuit's Medina Valley ruling demonstrates, school districts that allow students to speak freely about their religious beliefs have the Constitution on their side. A school district's policies regarding student expressions of religious belief should be guided by the educational goals of the district and an appropriate respect for students' freedoms of speech and religion—not by threatening letters that misstate the law and distort the First Amendment.

If you decide to allow the cheerleaders of Kountze High to freely display their chosen message on their banners at football games, and if the Freedom From Religion Foundation or any other group sues Kountze ISD as a result, my office stands ready to file a brief with the court protecting the cheerleaders' religious liberties.

Sincerely,

Greg Abbott

Attorney General of Texas



related articles: 

Urgent: Support Kountze Kids Faith - Texas Students Fighting for Religious Freedom

Congressman Stockman and Rep. White Support Kountze Kids Faith - Liberty Institute & CLA Send Lawyers

Judge Says Kountze Students ALLOWED to Hold Religious Signs. Restraining Order by Judge Steve Thomas

Student Disciplined for Bible Verse on Face at West Hardin ISD TX Football Game

Rep. James White Tells TASB: "Unwarranted" to Ban Religious Student Banners - Letter to Texas Association of School Boards - James Crow

RALLY Oct 5th to Support Kountze Kids Faith @ Kountze, TX Football Game

Oct 4th, the day before the rally, there will be a hearing in the Texas State District Court of Steve Thomas on whether or not to grant a Permanent Restraining Order against the School Ban. A Permanent Restraining Order will allow the students to Hold signs with Bible Verses. This ruling could have ripple effect NATIONWIDE!

Please make plans to attend the Oct 5th rally!

Show support for this rally on facebook! Go to the rally facebook event page HERE http://www.facebook.com/events/105912862899560/ and click like or click join to tell everyone that you are going

Kountze RALLY

To Support Kountze Kids Faith

Oct. 5^th, 2012 7:30PM

@ Kountze Lions Home Football Game

 FYI: Price to enter football game is $4 or $5 for adults

Kountze, TX Football Stadium Address:

1488 FM 1293

Kountze, Texas 77625

more rally info at www.SupportKountzeKidsFaith.com

Dear Kountze Residents, Texans, and anyone else in America for that matter:

Everyone please show up to the next Kountze Lions home football game to show support for the kids in Kountze. Show up with red shirts and bring signs with Bible Verses and religious encouragements. Bring signs that say we support these Kountze kids who are standing up for their Constitutional Religious Rights. Remember last Christmas when the Henderson County Courthouse in Athens, Texas came under attack by Atheists who told them that they had to remove their nativity scene?  The residents of Athens stood up against this attack and thousands of people from everywhere came to rally in support. It was amazing and the nation watched as Athens fought off the Atheists. Let's do the same thing here! This is the first home game since these kids were told they could not have signs with Bible verses or anything else religious on them because the KISD Administration acted on some WRONG advice from the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). These kids are standing up for their faith and for the Constitution so we should stand up for them! Many people hear know that the First Amendment says that Congress shall make no law establishing Religion but many people forget the second part that says Congress shall also NOT Prohibit the Free Exercise of Religion. These students have a right to make their OWN PERSONAL signs to hold up at a PUBLIC event. Let's give these students a home game rally like they have never seen before! With all the national attention this Kountze situation has received, the nation is LITERALLY watching us!

Also, please be respectful at the game. We want to support the kids and stand up for their religious rights, but the kids will be playing a game we do not want to make a scene that will hurt the kids or act silly in front of the media. We want to be good witnesses for God. We can stand with the kids and stand for their rights at the same time as being respectful. If other people have anti religious signs do not argue with them. Just hold yours proud and support the kids. The anti religious crowd will be greatly outnumbered anyways.

Sincerely,

Michael "David" Bellow Jr.
Texas Conservative Republican News
www.TexasConservativeNetwork.com






 also:

Come to Angel Gardens after the Oct 5th home football game to visit and have fellowship. Invite your out of town guest to stop by. It will be a good time to pause and reflect the accomplisments of our fine young Kids of Kountze High School. There will be hot chocolate and cookies. see ya there http://www.facebook.com/events/465119470200015/

Angel Gardens 1120 East Williford, Kountze, TX (turn between Tobacco Barn and Conoco 1 mile)


related articles about Kountze Situation:

Judge's Decision Allows Kountze Cheerleaders to Hold Signs with Bible Verses at Football Game/Rally Friday Oct 5th

Urgent: Support Kountze Kids Faith - Texas Students Fighting for Religious Freedom

Congressman Stockman and Rep. White Support Kountze Kids Faith - Liberty Institute & CLA Send Lawyers

Judge Says Kountze Students ALLOWED to Hold Religious Signs. Restraining Order by Judge Steve Thomas

Student Disciplined for Bible Verse on Face at West Hardin ISD TX Football Game

TX AG Greg Abbott Supports Kountze Cheerleaders Banned from Holding Religious Banners

Kountze Kids Get Support from Barry Smitherman Texas Railroad Commission Chairman

Rep. James White Tells TASB: "Unwarranted" to Ban Religious Student Banners - Letter to Texas Association of School Boards - James Crow

Student Disciplined for Bible Verse on Face at West Hardin ISD TX Football Game

Update: the kids at West Hardin ISD were told that they will not be punished unless it happens again. They were told that it is ILLEGAL! If that is the case then are cross necklaces banned too? What about personal Christian bracelets? this is ridiculous. I don't think the people running these schools are bad or non-Christian, but they just do not know the law nor do they know the religious  rights we have in America.

Contact West Hardin ISD and show support for Shelby!
(936) 274-5061

Just a few hours after Judge Steve Thomas allowed students at Kountze ISD to hold signs at football games with religious messages by ordering a restraining order against the school, a student in a different school just a few miles down the road is facing punishment by her school for having a Bible Verse painted on her face at a football game. Shelby Lafour goes to West Hardin ISD. Cindy Lafour, Shelby's mother, has always encouraged her kids to stand up for what they believe. Cindy's daughter Shelby, a West Hardin ISD Cheerleader, took it upon herself to write a verse on her face at the Football game tonight (Thursday Sept 20th, 2012). West Hardin ISD did not like the verse on Shelby's face and Cindy says that Shelby's cheer coach told Shelby that she could not have "Phil 4:13" painted on her face. The cheer coach explained that it was not her decision to ban the Bible Verse face paint. The cheer coach said the orders came from the West Hardin ISD Administration/Management.

Shelby was ordered to take off the paint or she could not cheer. After Shelby questioned why she could not wear the paint, she was told that she could keep it on but she must report to the Principal's office in the morning to be reprimanded/disciplined.

Is there something in the water over here? What are the chances that something like this happens at two different schools in the same county in the same week in ultra Christian, conservative, East Texas?

Stay Tuned for more details on both the Kountze situation and this new situation in West Hardin.

West Hardin ISD is comprised of students from the small East Texas cities of Batson, Saratoga, Thicket and Votaw.


Also, remember the big "Support Kountze Kids Faith" rally planned for the next Kountze Home Football Game Oct 5th, 2012. We will have signs and t-shirts supporting these constitutional religious rights of these students.


related articles:

Urgent: Support Kountze Kids Faith - Texas Students Fighting for Religious Freedom

Congressman Stockman and Rep. White Support Kountze Kids Faith - Liberty Institute & CLA Send Lawyers

Judge Says Kountze Students ALLOWED to Hold Religious Signs. Restraining Order by Judge Steve Thomas

Rep. James White Tells TASB: "Unwarranted" to Ban Religious Student Banners - Letter to Texas Association of School Boards - James Crow

Judge Says Kountze Students ALLOWED to Hold Religious Signs. Restraining Order by Judge Steve Thomas

Texas State District Judge Steve Thomas has granted a temporary restraining order that will allow students at Kountze School Football games to hold religious signs for the next 2 weeks pending an October 4th, 2012 Hearing.

Regardless of the outcome of the hearing, there will be a big rally at the next Kountze Lions Home Game Oct. 5th, 2012. We will have signs and t-shirts supporting these kids and supporting their rights.

Kountze ISD Superintendent Kevin Weldon got some bad advice from Texas Association of School Boards and Weldon BANNED students from even making their own personal signs with Bible verses to hold at football games after receiving an anonymous complaint.

It did not take long for the community to take a stand against this Superintendent's decision. A facebook group Support Kountze Kids Faith got 30,000 members overnight and local political leaders like Congressman Steve Stockman and State Rep James White spoke out in support of these students. Now the issue has become a national one with Todd Starnes (Fox News Radio), and other national media outlets covering the issue today.

Beaumont Lawyer David Starnes has teamed up with Liberty Institute Lawyer Michael Johnson to represent these kids. The Liberty Institute is national organizations that defends unconstitutional actions against Christians. The Liberty Institute has win 99% of their cases. Johnson says that student led religious activities using student personal resources are permitted in schools. Johnson says that many people forget the second part of the First Amendment that says Congress Shall Make No Law Prohibiting The Free Exercise Of Religion.

Judge Thomas made a very good decision to err on the side of these students' religious rights until a hearing on the matter.

This is why it is important to support good Judges. I knew Steve Thomas was a great guy so I supported him to be appointed as Judge. When the election came around, there was no one I would have voted for to be District Judge over Steve Thomas. Judge Thomas is a great guy who is very knowledgeable and fair. It is good to see that voting in good judges, even locally, can have a huge impact.

Governor Rick Perry wisely appointed Steve Thomas to be the State District Judge over Hardin County following the death of Judge Plunk. Thomas had run for the position as a Republican just a couple years early and nearly unseated the long-time Democrat Judge Plunk, so it was an easy decision to pick Steve Thomas to fill in as Judge until the next election. The primary elections are over and Steve Thomas ran unopposed in the Primary and will be unopposed in the general election so he will retain his seat as a now elected State Judge.

Congressman Stockman and Rep. White Support Kountze Kids Faith - Liberty Institute & CLA Send Lawyers

New Congressional District 36 Congressman Steve Stockman and Texas State Representative James White have released Statements today in support of the students (cheerleaders) in Kountze, TX who have come under attack for expression their faith on banners and posters at school football games. The students have been banned from holding personal signs at football games with anything religious in nature on the sign or banner.

Word of this attack on Christian Religious Expression has spread far and wide. Fox News (Todd Starnes) called down here today and the Facebook group "Support Kountze Kids Faith" has reached over 30,000 fans overnight before the group went from Open to Closed because the group moderators could not keep up with the traffic.

The Liberty Institute sent lawyers to Kountze today to lend legal representation to this group of kids and tomorrow lawyers from the Christian Law Association (CLA) will be coming into town.

There is a big rally being planned for the next Kountze ISD Football Home Game on October 5th, 2012. We are hoping to have thousands of supporters show up holding signs and banners supporting these students.

Statement from Congressman Steve Stockman:

The Kountze Superintendent who is limiting the freedom of Expression of these kids should probably start packing his bags. This is not San Francisco or New York. This is East Texas where people still love Jesus and don't like liberals who try to take away their Constitutional Rights.

  Statement from State Rep. James White:

I am very proud of the students that attend Kountze ISD. Today, when our culture has degenerated into a moral abyss of gratuitous sex and violence on TV, corruption at the highest level of government, and malfeasance in our business boardrooms, these students have stepped up and said, they want better and it begins with Faith.

I wholeheartedly support these young people and their public profession in Christ and I am encouraging their local leadership to find the appropriate constitutional and respectful way to ensure their freedom of worship, while upholding the constitutional protection against the establishment of religion.

Your Fellow Brother in Christ

State Representative James White
"Duty is ours; results are God's." John Quincy Adams

Urgent: Support Kountze Kids Faith - Texas Students Fighting for Religious Freedom

UPDATE:
RALLY Oct 5th 7:30pm to Support Kountze Kids Faith @ Kountze, TX Football Game CLICK HERE for more RALLY INFO

Please make plans to attend!

Show support for this rally on facebook! Go to the rally facebook event page HERE and click like or click join to tell everyone that you are going

Original Story:

A Group of Cheerleaders in Kountze, TX (a small east Texas town) are taking a stand after the Kountze Independent School District BANNED personal banners/posters with any religious reference at football games (or any other sporting events).

In general, students are allowed to express their religious beliefs at schools in Texas as long as the activity/expression is student led with no instruction from a teacher or school staff member. Kountze Cheerleaders make their OWN personal posters for games and they are not instructed by any teacher as to what must go no the banners and posters. The students are free to put their own encouraging statements to support their team.

The students are no longer free to do so following an "anonymous" complaint.

Yep, that is right. One anonymous complaint has removed freedom of speech and expression for hundreds of students in Kountze, Texas.

A student in Kountze can no longer hold a personal sign that says "we are praying for you" because praying is religious in nature. They are banned from having a sign or banner that has a Bible verse about strength and endurance. Even though they make these banners on their own to display their encouraging message, they are no longer allowed to do it anymore.  They no longer have freedom of speech or expression because someone might get offended. There is no Constitutional right to not get offended by a person who decided to express their beliefs on a personal sign. There is only a Constitutional protection against forcing someone to believe a specific religion. I can assure you that these signs do not force anyone to believe any religion. Someone who sees these signs still have the freedom to believe what they want and they are even free to express their own beliefs and make their own signs.

Kountze Kids are Taking a Stand and FIGHTING BACK

This has caused an uproar here in southeast Texas, a place where Bibles and guns are in just about every house.

A group of Kountze Cheerleaders have created a facebook support group SUPPORT KOUNTZE KIDS FAITH

Local Beaumont, TX TV Station KBMT 12 News did a story about this group of cheerleaders fighting for their rights. The news story mentioned this facebook support group and over night the facebook group has reached over 20,000 members. There is a flood of comments on the page expressing support for these students who are standing up for their faith.

Globally and here in America there is a War Against Christianity and Freedom of Religious Expression. That was is raging even in a small east Texas town.

Just last year, in another east Texas town of Athens, the City, the County Commissioners Court, and the people of Athens fought off attempts by Atheists who wanted to remove a Nativity Scene from the Henderson County Courthouse lawn.


for more info about the Kountze Situation, check out these articles:


Judge's Decision Allows Kountze Cheerleaders to Hold Signs with Bible Verses at Football Game/Rally Friday Oct 5th

Urgent: Support Kountze Kids Faith - Texas Students Fighting for Religious Freedom

Congressman Stockman and Rep. White Support Kountze Kids Faith - Liberty Institute & CLA Send Lawyers

Judge Says Kountze Students ALLOWED to Hold Religious Signs. Restraining Order by Judge Steve Thomas

Student Disciplined for Bible Verse on Face at West Hardin ISD TX Football Game

TX AG Greg Abbott Supports Kountze Cheerleaders Banned from Holding Religious Banners

Kountze Kids Get Support from Barry Smitherman Texas Railroad Commission Chairman

Rep. James White Tells TASB: "Unwarranted" to Ban Religious Student Banners - Letter to Texas Association of School Boards - James Crow