Valedictorian Moves To Intervene In School's Appeal of Graduation Ban On Prayer

As previously reported, earlier this week a Texas federal district court judge in Schultz v. Medina Valley Independent School District, (WD TX, June 1, 2011), issued a preliminary injunction barring the official listing of an invocation or benediction in the graduation program for Medina Valley (TX) High School, and ordering school officials to instruct students previously chosen to deliver the invocation and benediction to change their presentation to be a statement of their own belief as opposed to leading the audience in prayer. The students are not to end their presentations with "amen" or a statement that they are praying in Jesus' name. School officials appealed the judge's order to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.  Yesterday, Liberty Institute [corrected] issued a press release disclosing that it has filed an emergency motion with the 5th Circuit on behalf of the school's valedictorian, claiming that the district court's order amounts to an unconstitutional prior restraint on her speech. The motion (full text) alleges:

[Valedictorian Angela] Hildenbrand intends that her graduation address include words on permissible subjects from a religious viewpoint. During her address, based upon her sincerely held religious beliefs, she desires to pray and speak the words ―Lord, ―in the name of Jesus, and ―Amen. She also intends to make clear that her words are in her personal capacity as a citizen and of her own choosing; her school has neither sanctioned nor condoned them.

Meanwhile yesterday, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced that he had filed an amicus brief supporting valedictorian Angela Hildenbrand's position.