Sixteen-year-old Jessica Ahlquist sat stoically Thursday inside the office of the Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union.
It was her first public appearance since a federal judge ruled in her favor that a prayer banner in her school was unconstitutional.
"I'm so glad and proud that the right decision was made and that the Constitution was upheld," Ahlquist said.
U.S. District Judge Ronald Lagueux ruled Wednesday that the Cranston High School West banner, which includes the words "Our Heavenly Father" and "Amen", as unconstitutional.
"No amount of debate can make the school prayer anything other than a prayer," Lagueux wrote in his decision.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled government-sponsored prayer in public schools unconstitutional in 1962.
The judge ordered the mural, which has been on display inside the school auditorium since 1963, to be removed immediately.
Ahlquist, a self-proclaimed atheist, explained why she decided to pursue the lawsuit.
"It's not something that belongs in a school. When I saw it there, I knew it didn't belong. And everytime that I saw it, it was reminder that my school wasn't doing the right thing and that my school didn't necessarily support me and my views," Ahlquist said. "It was offensive."
Cranston school officials initially decided to keep the mural by a vote of 4-3. The school district has 10 days to respond to the ruling.
Ahlquist said because of some negative backlash, she's considering whether to return to Cranston West for her senior year, next semester.
"I've had some difficult experiences there. I don't know how West is for me now," Ahlquist said.
Ahlquist said she is proud of her decision to fight for what she felt was right.
"Even if kids in school hate you, even if there are nasty comments all over the Internet, it's important to just stand true to what you believe in," Ahlquist said.
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