A plaque of the Ten Commandments has been removed after hanging in an Ohio middle school for nearly a century.
Officials at Joseph Welty Middle School in New Philadelphia, Ohio, reportedly took the tablet down after the Freedom From Religion Foundation complained that the biblical edicts might be making students uncomfortable.
“The district’s promotion of the Judeo-Christian bible and religion over nonreligion impermissibly turns any non-Christian or non-believing student into an outsider,” foundation representative Christopher Line said in an April letter to the school. “Schoolchildren already feel significant pressure to conform to their peers. They must not be subjected to similar pressure from their schools, especially on religious questions.”
New Philadelphia City Schools Superintendent David Brand said he disagrees with the nontheistic group’s approach. Brand said the school district would consider filing an amicus brief arguing against the removal.
“As background, the plaque was a gift from the Class of 1926 to the District in 1927,” Brand said in a statement. “To the best of its knowledge, the District believes the plaque has been displayed in the District ever since. With over 90 years on display, the plaque is recognized as part of the tradition and history of New Philadelphia City Schools.”
“Rather than engaging FFRF in an action where the community’s resources are at stake, the District will consider filing an amicus brief in a forthcoming case on the matter,” he added.
