Mass. high court: Pledge of Allegiance not discriminatory

Associated Press

BOSTON

The Pledge of Allegiance does not discriminate against atheists and can be recited at the start of the day in public schools, Massachusetts’ highest court ruled Friday.

The Supreme Judicial Court said the words “under God” in the pledge reflect patriotic practice, not a religious one. They acknowledged that the wording has a “religious tinge” but said it is fundamentally patriotic and voluntary.

The court was ruling in a 2010 lawsuit filed by an atheist family from Acton who claimed that the daily recitation of the pledge in classrooms violated their three children’s equal-protection rights under the state constitution, which protects against discrimination. The family was not identified in the lawsuit.

Stephen Mills, the superintendent of the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District, said officials were pleased with the ruling.

“It is a pledge of national loyalty, not a prayer,” he said, adding that the district paid about $60,000 in legal fees to fight the lawsuit.