Written by Don Byrd
A Ten Commandments monument has been outside Valley High School in New Kensington, Pennsylvania for more than 50 years years. That tradition is finally coming under scrutiny after a complaint filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation raised concerns about the church-state implications of the display. Of course, maintaining this practice requires proponents to strip the Decalogue of its religious meaning. (my emphasis)
[School Superintendent] Dr. George Batterson says it was a gift many years ago from a community organization and it’s not going anywhere.
“This is just a monument that was donated by the Fraternal Order of the Eagles way back in 1957 and we see this having more historical significance than religious,” said Dr. Batterson.
A spokesman for the Freedom from Religion Foundation says his group has a lawsuit against a school district in Virginia that has a similar monument. The next step is up to the foundation now that the district is standing firm on plans to keep it.
You can watch a news report on the dispute here.
