Court Asked To Ban 'Angels' Song In School
Parents Request Another Injunction Against St. Johns School

POSTED: Wednesday, April 22, 2009

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- The parents of two third-graders at the Webster School in St. Augustine who are suing St. Johns County Schools over a song sung in class have filed another request for injunction against the school for a different song.

Last month, the parents filed a lawsuit and went to court over the "In God We Still Trust," claiming the song violates their children's religious rights. As a result, U.S. District Judge Schlesinger issued a preliminary injunction blocking the St. Johns County Schools from having students at Webster School rehearse "In God We Still Trust."

Now, the song "Chatter with the Angels" has prompted the parents to go back to federal court asking that the song be banned from the school.

St. Johns County School officials however pointed that "Chatter with the Angels" is included in a state-adopted music textbook.


this is getting beyond ridiculous, if parents want to interpret the rules and regulations of the schools, intrepret dress codes, interpret what should be taught in schools, what shouldn't be taught in schools - hell if you have all this time and energy on your hands, home school your child. Sorry just annoyed this morning.

This is the same school as before, Fran?

no think it's a different school, going to look for link (sorry didn't include in OP)

OH GOOD FREAKIN GOSH!! We have really become a sue happy society. Ridiculous!! I'm with you Fran, don't like what the school is teachin ur child, there's always home schoolin.

yes Winx, it is the same school

couldn't find article I started with but here's another

http://staugustine.com/stories/042209/news_042209_016.shtml

New song at Webster draws 2nd injunction

Attorneys are seeking to halt teaching of a song they call a "blatantly sectarian and proselytizing religious song" to third-graders at The Webster School until the case can go to court.

This is the second time in less than a month that attorneys asked the United States District Court in Jacksonville for a preliminary injunction to stop a song at Webster.

School district officials said they knew nothing about the amended complaint until contacted by The St. Augustine Record Tuesday evening.

"Our attorney (Frank Upchurch) had not heard of it. No one knew about it," said Margie Davidson, spokeswoman for the St. Johns County School District.

Attempts to reach Superintendent Joe Joyner were unsuccessful.

The amended complaint, filed Tuesday, comes less than a week after a federal judge ruled the School District, a school principal and two teachers violated two students' First Amendment rights by making them choose between practicing what he called a "proselytizing" and "sectarian" country music song for an end-of-the-year assembly or sitting out the performance.

The song was "In God We Still Trust," released in 2005 by Diamond Rio. Two parents and their third-graders filed a lawsuit in protest in March.

The teachers and principal said in affidavits the children were told participation in the assembly was voluntary and the children did not have to sing the song.

The case still must go to trial.

On Tuesday attorneys Bill Sheppard and Gray Thomas sought another preliminary injunction for a second tune also being taught to third-graders at Webster. They're asking the judge to order the school to stop having the pupils sing the song until the judge can decided if they should be prohibited from learning it in school.

Theyre also asking the judge to rule, as in the first case, that their constitutional rights were violated by making them either learn a song that runs counter to their religious beliefs or be ostracized by their classmates.

This injunction request named the school board, Joyner, the principal and three teachers, including the music teacher.

At issue this time is the music teacher's introduction of "Chatter With the Angels," a song the suit calls "sectarian" and "proselytizing."

The suit claims directing the students to rehearse or perform the "Chatter" song constitutes "retaliation against Plaintiffs for their having instituted" the case for "In God We Trust."

The injunction ruling came April 15. Webster began teaching the song on April 20, according to the amended complaint.


Chatter with the Angels

Soon in the morning
Chatter with the Angels
In that land!
Chatter with the Angels
Soon in the Morning
Chatter with the Angels
Join that Band!
I hope to join that band and
Chatter with the Angels
All day long!
I hope to join that band and
Chatter with the Angels
All day long!
Chatter with the Angels
Soon in the morning
Chatter with the Angels
In that land!
Chatter with the Angels
Soon in the Morning
Chatter with the Angels
Join that Band!
I hope to join that band and
Chatter with the Angels
All day long!
I hope to join that band and
Chatter with the Angels
All day long!
Chatter with the Angels
Soon in the Morning
Chatter with the Angels
In that land!
Chatter with the Angels
Soon in the morning
Chatter with the Angels
Join that Band!
I hope to join that band and
Chatter with the Angels
All day long!
I hope to join that band and
Chatter with the Angels
All day long!
Chatter with the angels all day long.

i think if you can be openly gay and and have rights about it you should be able to pray in school our country was built on godly principles and thats what wrong with our country now you can listen to some of todays music and we dont hear any one *****in about that do we. but some parents and most of them are listening to it to. we can have girl and girl and not so much boy on boy but they think that is right. well to each his own but i think that we should be able to say the plege to our country. the way our fore fathers did. and if you dont want to partisapate you may go for a potty break well
if we keep taking god or jesus out of every thing we will be in some big trouble. look at the world today befor the muslim faith was main streem we dident think about it when the gays were in the closet we had no problem with them. we a straight god fearing people are the under dogs with out are lord and savior jesus christ we would all be dead and in hell not saying that a homosexual is going to hell weall have sind in our own way .all we can do is pray for our nation and people and hope that we turn back to god and THEN WE MIGHT JUST HAVE A CHANCE
some one in oklahoma

Wow, it is the same school. Do the parents there have too much time on their hands or what?! I would rather have the school spend the money on textbooks instead of law suits.

tried to understand but truly couldn't, got that you are a straight God fearing man not sure what that has to do with suing a school for a teaching children (3rd graders) a song?

Spend money on eager, bright new teachers, on staff, on supplies - I can go on and on.

I can see being active in your child's education, but this is ridiculous (to me).

My daughters have participated in sing-a-longs and choruses and plays in school that clearly were about other nationalities' beliefs. This is so absurd.

original link to opening post
http://www.news4jax.com/news/19256365/detail.html

The christian parents would complain if the children sang something they found objectionable, why are those of other faiths not allowed to do so. As far as I can see this is not law suit for money, but just one to stop the singing of these songs that these parents find objectionable. Homeschooling a child is large commitment of time that many parents don't have. Also many states require the parent taking responsibility for the home schooling to have teaching degree.


I would remind the gentleman that reciting the pledge of allegiance as our forefather did left out "under god", which happens to be the most contested part. "Under god" was added to the pledge of allegiance until 1958. I'll leave the homophobic remarks to speak for themselves.

..the one thing about these religion topics is how things will stray..first of all these are children singing what they will,but yet it becomes an adult condemnation of such..i feel that all

religions should be respected and all songs and voices singing and attesting this should be heard..and in doing so will open doors to a better understanding and possible unification of people of different religious backgrounds..

..if one is to constantly suppress these topics than it will only lead to further condemnation and ignorance...

..as for the pledge of allegiance and the words "one nation under god" altho they were entered in later.68% of the population believe they should remain..and this is suppose to be a democracy..so love it or leave...jmo

Next they will say the name of the school should change to IBI ABI BIN MOHAMED too

While at it they could try to change the name of the council to King Baba Ben Muguloo

hey sunshine

imagine the outrage that will bring people just amaze me

Democracy is a small part of our government. Why do you think we have elected officials? It is not only because it would not be efficient or possible to for everyone to vote on everything, it is also because the framers of our government and constitution thought the average person was too stupid to know what is best for them (regardless of rather their elitism was justified)and prevent them from doing something stupid. What if 68% of the people believed we should surrender to Al Qaida?

Where does that come from? Just because one doesn't support christian proselytization of their children does not make them muslim.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/29/us/29delaware.html?_r=1

Here's a sad story for you, only this time it's the christians doing the clammering. And one woman trying to compremise is harrassed by christians.

Gotta love that seperation of church and state.

people sue for many things. i don't think this song should have been allowed because it's offends some people...but just like the woman who fought for her daughter to not tuck in her shirt...that goes against her rights

there will always be 'someone' offended by something or another

everything is open to interpretation