Pastor Files Suit over Demon Mascot Protest
As noted here last year, Georgia Pastor Donald Crosby protested the Warner Robins High School “Demons,” saying the mascot “sent the wrong message” to the teen students.
In a federal lawsuit, Crosby now claims his arrest for picketing without a permit violated his First Amendment rights.
After discovering that his freshman son would be a future “demon” at the school, [Crosby] began collecting signatures of protest and picketed along with more than 20 members of his congregation on the first day of school.
Officers arrested the pastor, however, for not having a picketing permit and put him into jail. He was released on bond. Upon obtaining a permit a few days later, he protested again at the school and was arrested again even with the proper paperwork.
As explained before, the mascot has a heritage from the 7th Fighter Squadron “Screamin’ Demons” in World War II, which was from the nearby Robins AFB. The most recent article notes the same thing, and has Crosby’s response:
Crosby, unconvinced by the story, responded, “There’s no airplane there. This doesn’t look like something that has to do with the Air Force,” he shared, referring to a picture of the mascot.
The principle, Monday told a radio station that the mascot name was patriotic, not diabolical. See the post http://m.christianpost.com/news/ga-pastor-sues-over-demon-mascot-59313/
I’d tend to agree with the principle knowing many fighter squadrons have/had names like these for a good long time; and all with the “patriotic” intentions. (Red Devils, Vampires, Fighting Cocks, Death Vipers, The Grim Reapers etc…)
I guess the Air Force really does this after all, but the preacher (and his son) are entitled to go elsewhere, maybe a private school…Go fighting lollipops!