Dispute over the religious song settled by a payment of $140,000
To settle a lawsuit over the singing of a religious song, a Florida school board has agreed to pay $140,000.
WOKV.com has reported that under the settlement, the St. Johns County School District admits no wrongdoing. But officials agreed the song, "In God We Still Trust," will not be sung in the district's schools.
Last year, the lawsuit was filed by two mothers because their third-grade children were being taught the song by country band Diamond Rio at Webster School in St. Augustine. A federal judge granted the mothers a preliminary injunction in April, saying the song's use in school violated the fundamental principle of separation of church and state.
The Florida Times-Union further reported that after Senior U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger released his decision, a teacher taught the children "Chatter With The Angels," a black folk song long used in Florida schools. The mothers said they believed the song was used at Webster to get back at them.
Although the school agreed last year not to use the song in the near future, "Chatter With The Angels" did not become part of the settlement. (With Inputs from Agencies)