Monday, April 30, 2012
Mark Ahlquist, father of Jessica Ahlquist, said his family has nothing to do with the controversy over a cross on Woonsocket city property.
It's easy to make a connection between the Cranston prayer banner case and the most recent controversy in Woonsocket over a cross at a war memorial at a fire station. Mark Ahlquist, father of Jessica Ahlquist — the Cranston West student and plaintiff at the center of the prayer banner case — said that his family "once again. . .is being targeted with hate" and people are assuming that they're connected to the Woonsocket situation. "We have absolutely nothing to do with that situation," Ahlquist said in an e-mail message. "For several reasons, I consider it to be a very different case than the prayer banner," Ahlquist said. In fact, Ahlquist agrees with some of the supporters who came out to defend his daughter in her legal case against the…
41.77923
-71.43681
Cranston City Hall
869 Park Ave, Cranston, RI
/articles/ahlquist-we-have-no-connection-to-wonsocket-cross-case
512500
/locations/6903938
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The city has already paid the $150,000 in legal fees owed to the ACLU after losing the prayer banner case.
The School Committee last night unanimously approved a proposal that asks the city to split the $150,000 in legal fees owed to the American Civil Liberties Union after losing the prayer banner case. Superintendent Peter Nero proposed the plan at last night's meeting. The city has already paid the bill. Cranston Mayor Allan W. Fung said that the city paid the bill recently and is hoping the school department pays back the city some of the money. Under the proposal, the district would pay the city $75,000. The banner, which contained a school prayer, was ordered removed by a U.S. District Court Judge earlier this year. The enormous banner has hung in this Rhode Island high school since 1963. It begins with the phrase "Our Heavenly Father" …
41.77163
-71.47761
Cranston High School West
80 Metropolitan Ave, Cranston, RI
/articles/school-district-will-split-aclu-fees-with-city
1632508
/locations/6865022
Friday, April 13, 2012
Judge Ronald R. Lagueux had strong words for the group that filed an eleventh hour request to save the prayer banner at Cranston West — even after it had been removed. He said their argument was based on "a mishmash of misguided and frivolous arguments."
Judge Ronald Lagueux called the prayer banner saga a "drawn-out affair" consisting of two months of "divisive debate." "It is time to move on," the judge wrote in his Thursday denial of a motion by a group of past and present Cranston High School West students asking him to intervene and consider reversing his January ruling ordering the prayer banner hanging in the school auditorium be removed. Lagueux described the motion, which was filed by Michael Motaranni, Christian Frangos, Olivia Frangos, Carolyn Mesagno, Lori McClain, Jared McMullen and Ronald L'Heureux, as not "timely" and based on "frivolous arguments." He wrote that their request for a motion to intervene in a closed case, a stay in the decision and order and for him to …
41.77163
-71.47761
Cranston High School West
80 Metropolitan Ave, Cranston, RI
/articles/judge-last-ditch-effort-to-save-banner-misguidedc-and-frivolous
1632508
/locations/6799164
Judge Ronald R. Lagueux rejected an eleventh hour request by a group of past and present students at Cranston West to reconsider his January ruling ordering a prayer banner in the school to come down.
U.S. District Court Judge Ronald R. Lagueux essentially closed the book on the Cranston West prayer banner case yesterday when he rejected a request from some current and former students to reconsider his Janurary ruling ordering the school district to remove the religious mural from an auditorium wall. The Providence Journal reported that Lagueux's denial said the group, which consisted of three former and three current Cranston High School West students and a North Providence resident, was too late. He also said they did not have standing in the case. Their request was filed after the district opted to not appeal the judge's ruling and the banner had already been cut from the wall. The district also agreed to pay the state chapter of the…
41.77163
-71.47761
Cranston High School West
80 Metropolitan Ave, Cranston, RI
/articles/judge-prayer-banner-case-is-over
1632508
/locations/6799168
Thursday, April 12, 2012
A piece of hate mail threatening rape and ordering Ahlquist to "get out of RI" was posted on Twitter and is now circulating on several Atheist Web sites.
A photo of the letter has been removed from this article after a request. "We know where he works, what kind of cars you have and the plate numbers of the cars. Get the [expletive] out of RI." That was part of a threatening letter sent to Jessica Ahlquist recently. Ahlquist, the Cranston High School West junior who was the plaintiff in the American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit against the school district over the prayer banner that hanged in the auditorium at her school, posted an image of the hate mail on Twitter last night. The letter warns of sexual assault, taunting Ahlquist that a group of "crusaders" have a betting pool going to see who "gets you first." "The cops will not watch you forever," it stated. "We will get you good." The …
41.77923
-71.43681
Cranston City Hall
869 Park Ave, Cranston, RI
/articles/ahlquist-family-told-to-get-out-of-ri-in-threatening-letter
512500
/locations/6793849
41.77163
-71.47761
Cranston High School West
80 Metropolitan Ave, Cranston, RI
/articles/ahlquist-family-told-to-get-out-of-ri-in-threatening-letter
1632508
/locations/6793850
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Former councilman Jeffrey P. Barone is asking the school district to let him pay for the removal of the prayer banner at Cranston High School West so he can donate to the class of 1963.
The controversial prayer banner at Cranston High School West remains covered and has yet to be removed. Former Cranston City Councilman Jeffrey P. Barone has written Superintendent Peter Nero with an offer to pay for the banner's removal so it can be donated to the class of 1963, the schools first graduating class, which gave the banner to the school as its class gift. "I am again requesting that I absorb the cost of the removal of the banner and in return, I am allowed to take possession of the banner. Upon my possession, I will then donate it back to the class that originally donated it to [the school]," Barone wrote. Barone said that he believes the banner's fate isn't up to the School Committee to decide. The U.S. District Court ruling…
41.77163
-71.47761
Cranston High School West
80 Metropolitan Ave, Cranston, RI
/articles/former-councilman-offers-to-pay-for-banner-removal
1632508
/locations/6485826
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
So far the district has received offers from the Cranston YMCA, Immaculate Conception school, St. Mary's Feast Society and a business owner in Pawtuxet Village to accomodate the banner once it is removed.
So far, the School Committee has four choices for a new home for the prayer banner slated to come down from the wall at Cranston High School West. School Committee President Andrea Iannazzi said today "all offers will be taken back to the School Committee for review." District officials had indicated earlier this week that the banner was to come down this week while students were away on February vacation. But today, lawyers agreed to an extension that will let the banner remain where it is, covered by wood, for another few weeks. The deadline for the district to file against the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union's request for $173,000 in repayment of legal fees is now March 5. Once the judgement is reached, the school …
41.77163
-71.47761
Cranston High School West
80 Metropolitan Ave, Cranston, RI
/articles/school-committee-weighing-four-offers-for-new-prayer-banner-home
1632508
/locations/6422384
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Follow our coverage of tonight's School Committee meeting during which members will decide whether to appeal the court ruling against a prayer banner at Cranston West.
6:25 p.m.: A crowd gathered outside Cranston High School East before 6 p.m. Many wore signs that simply stated "appeal." Someone else brought a sign that makes reference to the flying spaghetti monster. The doors to the school opened around 6:15 and the auditorium here is already full. Children are holding large signs that say "God has the right to be in public! The constitution says so!" Another section of the auditorium is represented by supporters of Jessica Ahlquist. "Solidarity." "My religion is kindness." "I support Jessica Ahlquist" their signs read. The media presence here is large. Expect lots of coverage tomorrow morning from across the country. "There is no standing room," a voice booms over the loudspeakers. "If you don't have …
41.77163
-71.47761
Cranston High School West
80 Metropolitan Ave, Cranston, RI
/articles/live-prayer-banner-appeal-meeting
1632508
/locations/6400281
All seven members of the Cranston School Committee are expected to be on hand for tonight's School Committee meeting.
The School Committee voted 4-3 in favor of keeping the controversial prayer banner at Cranston West last year, setting into motion the court battle between the school district and the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Tonight, as losers of the lawsuit, the committee must decide whether to appeal Judge Ronald Lagueux's decision ordering the district remove the banner. If each committee member voted the same way, the fight will be on and the district will appeal. But if one member of the previous majority changes their mind, the opposite will be true. Earlier today, there was speculation that the meeting would be short a member and the vote would at the very least end in a 3-3 tie. But City Councilwoman Paula MacFarland …
41.7795
-71.43744
Cranston High School East
899 Park Ave, Cranston, RI
/articles/tiebreaker-could-determine-appeal-decision-tonight
1601295
/locations/6395051
41.77163
-71.47761
Cranston High School West
80 Metropolitan Ave, Cranston, RI
/articles/tiebreaker-could-determine-appeal-decision-tonight
1632508
/locations/6395052
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The School Committee will vote on whether or not to appeal the court ruling ordering the prayer banner at Cranston West be removed. A large crowd is expected to be in attendance, including Cranston police officers.
The long saga over the controversial prayer banner hanging in the Cranston High School West auditorium could be nearing its end. Or, it could be the beginning of another round of protracted and heated debate. It all depends on how the School Committee will vote Thursday night when they finally decide whether to appeal the court ruling ordering the banner be removed. The meeting will likely draw an overflow crowd to Cranston High School East. It was originally scheduled to be held at Western Hills Middle School, where most School Committee meetings occur, but the incredible interest in the issue compelled the committee to make the obvious choice to relocate. Cranston Police will be on hand to make sure the crowd stays cool. Both atheists, …
Robin Lionheart
3:27 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
I support more troops than you, Ed. You should support _all_ the troops. more ›