Greenwood HS valedictorian sues over ceremony prayer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP/WISH) - The top-ranked senior at Greenwood High School wants a federal judge to stop a prayer at graduation. It's a prayer the senior class voted on and approved but 18-year-old Eric Workman said both the vote and the prayer violate the First Amendment.

So the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed suit Thursday in federal court on behalf of the high school senior asking for an injunction to stop the prayer and future votes and asks for nominal damages.

ACLU Legal Director Ken Falk said, "The Supreme Court has held specifically it is unconstitutional to have prayer at graduation. The Supreme Court has also held in the context where there was high school football games in Texas it is similarly unconstituional to put that question up to a vote of the student body."

The lawsuit says Workman objects because, "he does not believe that anyone should involuntarily be subjected to prayer and religious beliefs" and those at the ceremony should not have to take part in a religious exercise.

"There should not be prayer at any graduation ceremony per the Supreme Court and if any other school is doing it than they should look this as an instruction moment and realize what they are doing is unconstitutional," said Falk.

Workman is ranked first in his class and expects to speak at graduation. However, he declined a request to be interviewed.

Greenwood Schools did not return calls to AP seeking comment but has 21 days to answer the complaint.

Instead of holding graduation prayers on school property many classes hold off-site baccalaureates. Falk says those are allowed as long as they aren't sanctioned or paid for by the school.