Professor Tells Students Not to Thank God at Recognition Event
First Amendment rights remained intact at the East Carolina University, much to the delight of religious graduates. Graduating students had been instructed by a chemistry professor that they could not mention God during a departmental graduation ceremony, but university officials have ultimately told students to disregard those instructions.
Assistant Professor Eli Hvastkovs of the ECU Department of Chemistry sent a May 1 e-mail to his students asking them to prepare "family friendly" statements for the chemistry department's recognition event. Students are encouraged to provide voluntary personal statements for the ceremony wherein they can give their thanks to loved ones or describe their plans for the future.
In his e-mail, he specifically said that they students should not mention God....