The Stevens, residents of Greenleaf in the State of Whittier, are parents to Eric Stevens who they raised without any religion as they are atheist. Eric Stevens is a 16-year-old junior at Greenleaf Central High School (hereinafter, “the School”), a public high school, and has also been a member of the extracurricular football team since he was a freshman. The team, composed of twenty-five players, is called the Greenleaf Patriots with the name emblazoned on their uniforms as well on the School’s athletic field and stands where spectators sit to watch home games.
In August 2015, the football team’s coach, Hugh Field, started “Midnight Madness,” a voluntary pep rally that takes place on the athletic field on the last Sunday evening in August, going into the next morning. At about …show more content…
They state that Eric was extremely uncomfortable running through the lines with the football team because of the banner and thus refused to run with the team this year. Because Eric refused to run through the lines, his fellow teammates and students refused to eat lunch with him and ostracized him from other social activities, citing that Eric should have just run through the lines since the band’s signs have nothing to do with the football team.
Hence, the Stevens wish to bring a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Whittier against Greenleaf Central High School to challenge the band’s practice of displaying banners with religious messages at “Midnight Madness,” just before the football team runs out through the lines. The Stevens have already attempted self-help by asking the School to discontinue the band’s practice, but the School has declined on the grounds that the banners are made by the band on their own initiative to reflect their personal views and are not sponsored or directed by the school in any
In August 2015, the football team’s coach, Hugh Field, started “Midnight Madness,” a voluntary pep rally that takes place on the athletic field on the last Sunday evening in August, going into the next morning. At about …show more content…
They state that Eric was extremely uncomfortable running through the lines with the football team because of the banner and thus refused to run with the team this year. Because Eric refused to run through the lines, his fellow teammates and students refused to eat lunch with him and ostracized him from other social activities, citing that Eric should have just run through the lines since the band’s signs have nothing to do with the football team.
Hence, the Stevens wish to bring a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Whittier against Greenleaf Central High School to challenge the band’s practice of displaying banners with religious messages at “Midnight Madness,” just before the football team runs out through the lines. The Stevens have already attempted self-help by asking the School to discontinue the band’s practice, but the School has declined on the grounds that the banners are made by the band on their own initiative to reflect their personal views and are not sponsored or directed by the school in any