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Suit against prayer spurs backlash
'If they don't like it - go to another school,' one resident said of religious minorities

...The lawsuit accuses the district of promoting Christianity in the classroom. It claims that students who participate in the Bible club at Selbyville Middle School receive preferential treatment, and at least two teachers espoused their religious beliefs in class.

Dobrich brought her concerns to the school board last year - which then adopted new policies. But the lawsuit said the policies have not been enforced and have not been available to parents who have asked for copies. Because she spoke up, Dobrich said, her family was persecuted and sometimes threatened. "Everything changed," she said. Friends were suddenly cold to her and her family, sometimes refusing to make eye contact in public.

At least one person who supports Dobrich, Dr. Jeff Hawtof, considered retracting his comments, saying that once Dobrich spoke publicly, she committed "social suicide."

Hawtof knew others who supported Dobrich and her lawsuit but have refused to come forward, fearing that it would alienate them and, potentially, their livelihoods. ...