Cheerleaders Start Row With Bible Verse Banners

A squad of East Texas cheerleaders wants everyone to know they have God on their side—even if it means going to court. The Kountze High School squad had taken to holding up gigantic banners with Bible verses on them before every game, so that the Kountze players could dramatically burst through them, ABC News reports. The practice drew the attention of an atheist group, which argued that was inappropriate for public school.

The district's superintendent agreed, and ordered the girls to stop using the banners. But they're not backing down—they've hired a lawyer to fight the ban. He argues that the banners don't represent a violation of the separation of church and state because it was "student initiated." They've taken their fight public, and so far a Facebook page supporting them has nearly 50,000 followers, which is to say, 25 times more people than live in the town. (More cheerleaders stories.)