A district judge in Texas upheld the state's pledge as constitutional in a ruling on Thursday. Public school parent David Wallace Croft challenged the phrase "under God", but on the heels of the 5th Circuit's recent ruling in support of the moment of silence law, Judge Ed Kinkeade offered similar backing here.
In his opinion, Kinkeade wrote, "A voluntary recitation of the Texas Pledge of Allegiance simply does not coerce students in the same way a school-sponsored prayer might."
…
Dean Cook, Croft's attorney, said he is considering appealing the decision. "The insertion of the language 'under God' shows that the Legislature did not have a secular purpose," he said. "It would be just as inappropriate if they inserted the language 'this is a state under no God' or a 'state under Vishnu.' It doesn't maintain the proper neutrality between the state and religion."
Via How Appealing , you can read the decision here .
