Virginia School Board Sued Over Ten Commandments

Dispatches from the church-and-state front:

• Ten Commandments: Civil liberties groups have sued the school board in Giles County, Virginia, demanding that a Ten Commandments plaque be removed from a high school hallway. The board says it's simply part of a display of historical documents, including the Declaration of Independence, but the federal lawsuit by the ACLU and others calls that a "sham" excuse and says the plaque is up "with the primary aim of advancing religion," reports the Roanoke Times.

• Classroom banners: A federal appeals court has ruled against a teacher in San Diego who put up big banners in his classroom with phrases like "In God We Trust" and "God Bless America." Math teacher Bradley Johnson sued after a principal ordered him to take down the banners, calling them the "promotion of a particular viewpoint." Johnson won his first court battle, arguing that his 1st Amendment rights had been violated, but he lost yesterday's appeal in federal court, reports the Los Angeles Times.