Teen’s Defense of ‘Under God’ Just Won Big After Atheists ‘Threw in the Towel’ on Pledge of Allegiance Legal Battle
The conclusion of the case means that the legal firm successfully represented New Jersey high school student Samantha Jones in her quest to defend the Pledge after atheists sued in state court in an effort to strip “God” from the traditional wording.
“I’m so grateful to know that I will be able to continue reciting the pledge in peace,” Jones said in a statement. “Ever since I was little, I’ve recited the Pledge of Allegiance because it sums up the values that make our country great.”
The American Humanist Association’s decision not to appeal the ruling comes two months after a New Jersey judge threw out the group’s lawsuit that argued that “under God” is a violation of the state’s constitution.
State Superior Court Judge David Bauman had already expressed doubts about the atheist-led lawsuit during oral arguments back in November, noting that he saw no evidence of bullying or mistreatment of atheists as a result of “under God,” according to Fox News.
The court battle started in February 2014 when an unnamed family in New Jersey filed a lawsuit against Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District in Aberdeen, New Jersey, arguing through representation by the American Humanist Association that mentioning God in the Pledge of Allegiance constituted discrimination against nonbelievers, violating the equal protection clause of New Jersey’s constitution. (Read more from “Teen’s Defense of ‘Under God’ Just Won Big After Atheists ‘Threw in the Towel’ on Pledge of Allegiance Legal Battle” HERE)
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