(FOX Carolina) (Greenville, SC/FOX Carolina) – Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees said Friday the district had filed an appeal on the court’s recent decision in the lawsuit filed by the American Humanist Association. On April 14, the 11-page order handed down from the U.S. District Court for South Carolina awarded the AHA more than $456,000 in legal fees in a lawsuit against Greenville County Schools regarding prayer at school events. The lawsuit, first filed in 2013, accused the school district of violating the First Amendment by holding elementary school graduations in a Christian chapel and including prayers as part of graduation ceremonies. In July 2019, the District Court ruled that the school district should not include prayer as part of the official program for school events, and should provide a disclaimer in graduation programs that views and opinions of students are their own, not that of the district. The AHA issued a response to the 2019 ruling, calling it a victory. On April 14, the court said the AHA is the "prevailing party" and awarded them $446,466 in attorneys’ fees and $9,776 in other litigation costs. The AHA had requested $584,026 in attorneys fees, but was not given […]
