AMY GOODMAN: Well, there is clearly one woman who feels very strongly about her views, and she is taking those views to court. Lisa Herdahl is joining us from a hotel room in Mississippi right now, where she’s just about to leave for court. She is taking her school district to court for bringing prayer into the schools.

Welcome to Democracy Now!, Lisa Herdahl.

LISA HERDAHL: Hi.

AMY GOODMAN: Hi. Can you tell us, in a nutshell, what your case is about, what it is that your children were doing in school, and what you don’t want them to be doing?

LISA HERDAHL: The focus of our case is intercom prayer, prayer broadcast over the intercom, which has had a temporary injunction, and the Bible classes that are taught in kindergarten through sixth grade and ninth through 12th grade. And then there is some teacher involvement with prayer in classrooms.

AMY GOODMAN: How much involvement? Your kids in school, what do the teachers tell them?

LISA HERDAHL: Basically, they tell them, you know, that the children that want to pray, go ahead and stay here in the classroom. And this is before lunch. The kids who want to pray, go ahead and stay in the classroom. Those that aren’t going to pray, stand out in the hall with me. So, it’s giving the — it’s making the kids still get harassed because they’re different. You’ve got the teacher announcing that, you know, now is prayer time. So the school needs to just get completely out of it and let it be student-initiated.

AMY GOODMAN: Yesterday, your 16-year-old son Kevin testified about a history teacher who — what? Preached about being saved and showed a crucifixion video at Easter time?

LISA HERDAHL: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: And what did he — did Kevin say anything to him at the time?

LISA HERDAHL: I don’t really think he did. And I asked him why he didn’t. And I think Kevin, basically, stated that, “Before, the school district when listened to me,” the principal, the vice principal, and so he felt that if he went to them and told them, they wouldn’t listen to him, either. So he would come to me and tell me.

AMY GOODMAN: Lisa Herdahl, you’re Christian.

LISA HERDAHL: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: They’re Christian prayers that are being said in school. What’s your problem with this?

LISA HERDAHL: There are all forms of religions and beliefs and nonbeliefs, and one group cannot take over a school, take over the intercom and broadcast their prayer. I don’t honestly believe one prayer can cover everybody. And even if I was what the majority is in town, I would still disagree with it, because I don’t think my prayers should be forced over an intercom or to other children in a captive audience.

AMY GOODMAN: Going against the — is it the majority, would you say, in your area that feels that you’re wrong?

LISA HERDAHL: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: Going against them, how has that affected your kids?

LISA HERDAHL: It’s made them stronger. They’ve learned to deal with people of different opposing views. They’ve learned what the word of intolerance means. They can see now what it’s like to be a minority. They’re learning to stand up for what they believe is honestly right. And I think these are all things that they need.

AMY GOODMAN: Congressman Tom Andrews, head of People for the American Way, this is certainly not an isolated school district. During the South Carolina presidential debate, the Republican primary debate, it sounded like Lisa Herdahl did not have many candidates on her side.

THOMAS ANDREWS: That’s correct, Amy. Lisa Herdahl is a true American hero. The reason you don’t hear about these kind of cases all that often is because it takes a great deal of courage and resolve to stand up and fight for basic religious liberty. I mean, we’re talking about something that started over 200 years ago, when a group of people came over to the United States across the Atlantic Ocean seeking religious freedom, seeking the basic right to practice religion as they see fit, based on their conscience and their spirituality, and not based upon what a government dictated to them. That is exactly what is at stake here. And Lisa Herdahl and her family are standing up for the American way in the best sense of the word. And she truly is an American hero.

AMY GOODMAN: Lisa Herdahl, the school superintendent, Jerry Horton, says he’s going to fight this all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Are you willing to go that far?

LISA HERDAHL: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: So you’re going to take it there?

LISA HERDAHL: If they want to take it that far, that’s where we’re going to go.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, we want to thank you very much for joining us, Lisa Herdahl, in Mississippi. You’re going to court in a few minutes?

LISA HERDAHL: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: Who’s going to testify today?

LISA HERDAHL: You know, to tell you the truth, I’m not really sure.

AMY GOODMAN: Any more of your children?

LISA HERDAHL: No, I think the children are done.

AMY GOODMAN: Are your children going with you?

LISA HERDAHL: My oldest is.

AMY GOODMAN: And have you maintained your job down there? You were working, what, in a fast — in a convenience store?

LISA HERDAHL: Yes. No, I had to quit just before Christmas.

AMY GOODMAN: Why did you have to quit?

LISA HERDAHL: Just problems at work.

AMY GOODMAN: Sounds like your kids are having some problems at school, as well.

LISA HERDAHL: They are still getting harassment. A couple of them are having a difficult time as far as keeping up with the other kids. And it’s not that they can’t. It’s just everyday harass — you know, just the idea of the harassment and “Why are you doing this?” And it gets to them after a while. You know, I have to talk to them every day and say, “Come on, you know, school is your job. You need to go to school.” So, it is difficult on them.

AMY GOODMAN: Lisa Herdahl, thank you very much for joining us. Tom Andrews, how is People for the American Way taking on the issue of school prayer in a national way?

THOMAS ANDREWS: Two ways, Amy. First of all, we’re backing up in a legal way, Lisa Herdahl and others like her. We provide her and others with the legal backup to go into court and to fight for her basic rights. Secondly, we’re not only arguing this in the court of law, but also we’re trying to take this to the court of public opinion. It’s a very difficult thing to deal with an issue that some would describe as being for or against God, for or against prayer. And what we have to do, and we have to work very hard at this, is talk to Americans about the basic idea of religious freedom, about religious liberty, and the fact that people should be able to decide what kind of prayers they’re going to pray, what kind of readings they’re going to have in terms of religious readings, based on their conscience. No student should be forced to choose between violating their faith and being harassed. And that is exactly what’s going on with Lisa Herdahl’s family. It’s going on probably with many families who face this situation. And it’s wrong. I think that if we are successful in getting this message out and talking about the basic precious idea of religious freedom, we’ll be successful. But, frankly, Amy, we have a long way to go.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, Tom Andrews, I want to thank you for being with us. I’m sorry we didn’t get to talk about Maine — we’ll do it another time — and your battle against the defense industry. Tom Andrews, a former congressman from Maine, is head of People for the American Way. And if you’d like to get in touch with them, you can call them at their Washington office, 202-467-4999. That’s 202-467-4999. Or, if you’re as sophisticated as using email, you can reach them at their email address pfaw@pfaw.org. That’s pfaw@pfaw.org. Tom Andrews, thanks for joining us.

THOMAS ANDREWS: Thank you.

AMY GOODMAN: You’re listening to Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman.