Cheerleaders' Religious Signs Can Stay While Judge Mulls Ruling

Is it a First Amendment violation?

A Texas judge has given cheerleaders in Kountze, Texas, two more weeks to display Bible verses on banners while he decides if they are violating the First Amendment.

The 32-girl cheerleading squad at Kountze High School have been both showing support for the team and displaying their religious beliefs by painting Bible verses on the banners that players run through before each game. Recently an unidentified spectator complained to an atheist group, which argued that the banners amount to a public school's advocating a particular religion, which is unconstitutional.

On Thursday, State District Judge Steve Thomas extended the temporary order he granted last month to allow the banners. The decision is a temporary win for the squad, who have rallied the support of their community and now have nearly 50,000 fans on a Facebook page devoted to their cause.