Ohio Students Told Not to Sing Hymn at Graduation, Do It Anyway

Ohio students told not to sing Lord’s Prayer at graduation; do it anyway https://t.co/dcjuA9MBM6

— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) May 25, 2016

Students who were told not to sing the Lord’s Prayer at graduation did it anyway.

For the past 70 years, as WHIO reports, students at East Liverpool High School sang it at graduation. This year, they were told not to carry on the tradition, but they went ahead with it anyway.

Administrators were contacted by nonprofit organization Freedom From Religion Foundation, who told them that the song traditionally sung by the choir, had to be removed from the ceremony.

The school removed the song, rather than opting to go through a legal battle.

“We’re really big at traditions at this school and I think it would’ve been nice to have the same as my brother had whenever he graduated,” Cami Post, the class of 2016 vice president told WTOV ahead of the ceremony.

Class Valedictorian Jonathan Montgomery went on stage and led the class in performing the song.

The school’s president explained the rationale.

“We said, ‘OK, we just won’t do it anymore,'” school board President Larry Walton told WTOV. “It was a decision made because we don’t have a lot of money, and we’d rather hire teachers than pay lawyers.”