A federal judge in Iowa has halted for now plans to sing the Lord’s Prayer at a high-school graduation ceremony. Ben Stone, executive director of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, says the judge has enjoined the Woodbine school district from having kids practice “The Lords Prayer” song in choir until after the trial May 9. The graduation ceremony’s set for May 19.Stone says halting the performance of the religious song is a reaffirmation of religious tolerance. Though similar cases often center around graduation events, Stone says this is far from an annual case in Iowa. He says it’s hard to say if there’s a trend, but Stone says this is the first such case in 10 years. There is a similar case in Nebraska being heard at the same time. The lack of cases could mean more schools comply, says Stone, but could also reflect how touchy it is to challenge custom.Stone says it’s tough for religious minorities, especially in a smaller community, find it hard to step forward and incur the wrath of the majority, but most school districts follow the law. The I-C-L-U brought the suit on behalf of two sophomore members of the Woodbine school choir.
