Plaintiffs Challenging 10 Commandments May Proceed Using Pseudonyms

As previously reported, in September the Freedom From Religion Foundation along with two students and their parents filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a 6-foot tall Ten Commandments monument that has been displayed for decades in front of New Kensington, Pennsylvania's Valley High School. On Nov. 30, the trial court judge ruled (full text of Order) that the students and the parent of one may proceed in the case identified only as Doe 1, Doe 2 and Doe 3. As reported yesterday by the Valley News Dispatch, plaintiffs' counsel had sought the order because of "the highly personal and sensitive religious matters involved, the age of the student-Plaintiffs, the (ill will) expressed by the public regarding the Plaintiffs and this case, harassing remarks about the Plaintiffs, and the potential for physical harm." Plaintiffs introduced as evidence of the hostility toward them Facebook postings, website comments, emails and letters to the editor.