A Personal Request From Richard Thompson, President & Chief Counsel of TMLC

	A Personal Request from Richard Thompson, President of the Thomas More Law Center Help this courageous Christian teacher keep “In God We Trust” September 21, 2011 Dear Friends,   Last week a 3-judge panel of the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held it was okay for teachers to acclaim Buda and pro-gay rights, but not God. The Court’s decision ridiculed the historical fact of “the role of God in our Nation’s history.” The focus of the Court’s ridicule was on Brad Johnson, a highly respected math teacher for the Poway Unified School District in San Diego. Click here to donate to Brad’s fight. For over 2 decades, in keeping with the School District’s policy of allowing teachers to express their own personal views, Brad hung banners in his classroom that included our national motto, “In God We Trust, ” and other patriotic phrases that mentioned God: “One Nation Under God, ” “God Bless America, ” and “God Shed His Grace On Thee.” But in 2007, school officials ordered him to take down his banners because they promoted a Judeo-Christian viewpoint by referring to “God, ” and might offend a Muslim student. School officials left untouched non-Christian religious displays by other teachers that included: a 40 foot string of Tibetan prayer flags with images of Buddha strung across the classroom; posters of Hindu leader Mahatma Gandhi, Muslim leader Malcolm X, and Buddhist leader Dali Lama. Get this. The School District admitted that Brad never attempted to proselytize his students; that he was one of the best math teachers in the District. Rather than cave-in, Brad chose to fight with the help of the Thomas More Law Center. We agreed to represent Brad without charge. And ever since, Brad has been locked in a lengthy legal battle. Can you help Brad by making a tax-deductible contribution to support his ongoing case? Please click here to donate. As you read further, you will understand why Brad’s lonely fight against his school district reminds me of that 1989 iconic photo of the “Tank Man” at China’s Tiananmen Square. He stood alone in front of the lead tank to stop a column of Chinese tanks on their way to crush student demonstrations. Don’t let Brad stand alone. Last week’s Ninth Circuit’s opinion overruled a 2010 lower court decision which had held that the School District violated Brad Johnson’s constitutional rights when it ordered him to take down his classroom banners. We will now appeal the decision to the entire Ninth Circuit bench by filing our petition for en banc review. If that’s not successful, we will petition the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case. So please help Brad’s fight against the anti-American, anti-Christian indoctrination of our school children. You can make a difference. At a time when public schools and federal courts are cleansing classrooms of America’s Christian heritage and devaluing any sense of patriotism, this courageous teacher is fighting back. But Brad Johnson and the Thomas More Law Center depend upon your generosity to fund his fight. To make a tax-deductible donation, please click here. Thanks for all your help. With warm regards,     Richard Thompson Please Pass This On to Family and Friends

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