A Colorado Springs high school that had been at the subject of a lawsuit over banning Christian students from meeting during their “free period” is sidestepping the issues of the suit by eliminating the free period for students.

Now former student of Pine Creek High School, Chase Windebank had been meeting with other Christian students during “seminar”, the school’s version of study hall.  The students would meet to pray, sing worship songs and encourage each other in a room away from students who did not have faith.

The school stepped in during Windebank’s senior year and said they would no longer be allowed to meet during the seminar time, because the school considered it to be “instructional time”.  The school said they were not violating Windebank’s civil rights by redefining the period to bar the Christian students from meeting.

Windebank filed suit with the help of the Alliance Defending Freedom because other students were still able to express themselves during the free period while the Christians were being blocked.

“I’m actually quite excited that I was able to take this stand and be able to make a victory for free speech in public schools,” he said. “Not just for me because I filed this lawsuit. For those after me as well, being able to express what they believe.”

Windebank says the school has agreed to allow prayer and gathering of students during lunch.

The school claims the suit’s dismissal has nothing to do with a deal and that those who pursued the suit are grandstanding.

“Pine Creek High School has never had, and does not have, a policy in place which restricts students’ rights to associate at lunch, and by extension to meet with others and discuss faith, pray, or talk about the news of the day from a Christian perspective,” he wrote. “As such, no nonexistent policy was revised to achieve the suit’s abandonment.”