After a two-day trial an Ketchikan Superior Court judge ruled that the listing of 14 tribal values that are traditional to the tribe are able to remain within Ketchikan schools. The ruling came just a few days after the trial’s conclusion.
The principles were formulated many years in the past in the past by Southeast Native leaders, and include such things as “hold each one another to each other” in addition to “speak with respect.” However, the parents Justin Breese and Rebecca King filed a lawsuit against the school district, asserting they believed that one value “reverence to our God,” was a religious declaration that was in violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment clause.
They requested that the poster be removed from common areas, and to be used in classes that are guided. The parents also asked for the values to be removed from a reward system for behavior in the Ketchikan Charter School, where King instructs kindergarteners.
In her written decision the judge Katherine Lybrand said that the plaintiffs couldn’t prove that the statements were religious. Lybrand declared that, in order to break the establishment clause the posters must been attempting to force students to believe in a certain manner. She claimed that the fact could not be proved in the trial.
In addition, Lybrand ruled, even the posters were an act of worship, it would not be in violation of the statute, as the display of posters does not require any specific behaviour.
“The simple display of posters at the schools of the District does not create excessive entanglement, nor do they force students to believe a specific thing (and in reality, there was no evidence to suggest that any student felt pressured in any way),” Lybrand wrote in her decision.
Lybrand was in agreement with experts that the posters were placed in order to raise awareness of culture but not to encourage a particular behaviour.
“The display on the Southeast Traditional Tribal Values poster serves a secular goal in order to foster the understanding of different cultures, place-based learning and strong connections between the District’s Indigenous student population.” Lybrand wrote.
Lybrand also stated in her report that “reverence of our creator” value was not a mandatory element in the Ketchikan Charter School’s curriculum and teachers aren’t required place the posters up within their classes. The beginning of the first trial Ketchikan Charter School Principal Kayla Livingston stated her testimony that “reverence of our creator” was not utilized as the “value for the day” nor a “value for the month” in the school.
Furthermore, Lybrand noted that the posting of the price was “more similar to saying”the pledge of allegiance”, rather than the display in”the Ten Commandments.”
“Its posting is more similar to the recitation of the pledge to allegiance, rather than the display that of the Ten Commandments because the poster overall demonstrates that it’s purpose is to encourage the concept of cross-cultural learning and place-based learning rather than to encourage a particular religious belief,” Lybrand wrote in the court’s decision.
The leaders of the indigenous tribes from Ketchikan and across the Southeast were pleased with the decision to use the social network and the tribe of Ketchikan.
The plaintiff Rebecca King said she did not make any comments on the decision, but said being parents they aren’t legal experts, and they received no response through the legal system.
KRBD was unable to reach an official of Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District. Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District over the phone. Director Michael Robbins later sent a message to KRBD saying, “we are happy with the outcome.”
