Florida Student Declares Victory after Refusing To Stomp On Paper Bearing Jesus' Name

BOCA RATON, Fla., March 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Liberty Institute declares victory on behalf of its client Ryan Rotela, the Florida Atlantic University student who was brought up on academic charges and suspended from class out of retaliation for reporting a lesson to University officials, which included an in-class assignment involving jumping on a sheet of paper bearing Jesus' name. In addition to apologizing to Mr. Rotela on its website and following a closed-door meeting with Liberty Institute, University officials agreed not to take any further action against him, will expunge all academic charges from his student records, and will allow him to take the course under the supervision of an alternate professor.

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"We are thankful that the University has conceded and done the right thing, so that our client Mr. Rotela can continue pursuing his education without distraction," said Hiram Sasser, Liberty Institute Director of Litigation. "Decades ago, the Supreme Court ruled that students do not leave their First Amendment rights at the school house gate: That is still true today."

Liberty Institute is a nonprofit legal group dedicated to defending and restoring religious liberty across America — in our schools, for our churches and throughout the public arena. Liberty's vision is to reestablish religious liberty in accordance with the principles of our nation's Founders. For information, visit www.LibertyInstitute.org.

SOURCE Liberty Institute