Thursday's Pensacola News Journal reports on the testimony of third-grade teacher, Vicki Kirsch, who said: "My Christian beliefs are under attack and ... I wasn't able to do the things that I could do before the consent decree." She recounted that she is afraid to say, "God bless you," to a fellow teacher, and in not sure if she can let students talk about their baptisms in speeches to classes. She also complained she had to remove a cross from a personal area of her class room. A release from Liberty Counsel describes the testimony of two other witnesses:
Michelle Winkler broke down on the witness stand when she described how a coworker sought comfort from her after losing her two-year-old child. The two hid behind a closet door to pray, for fear they would be seen and held in contempt of the court order. Denise Gibson, an elementary teacher for 20 years, testified the order forces her to tell parents she cannot respond if they talk about church or their faith. She may not even respond to an email from a parent if it contains a Scripture verse or "God bless you." Instead, the District requires her to open a separate email to respond rather than hit "reply," in order to eliminate any trace of religious language.On Friday, federal district judge Casey Rodgers ordered counsel for both sides to submit their closing arguments in writing. (Pensacola News Journal).
