Atheist mother lauded for courage in row over Ten Commandments at school

When Marie Schaub of Arnold told the Freedom From Religion Foundation she'd be interested in a court challenge of New Kensington-Arnold School District's Ten Commandments monument, she thought she'd be one of many.

“I felt their phones must be ringing off the hook,” Schaub said. “I thought they probably weren't going to use me. I was completely wrong.”

Schaub remains the only individual plaintiff joining the foundation in the federal lawsuit arguing the 60-year-old monument in front of Valley Junior-Senior High School in New Kensington is an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion.

Two other plaintiffs, Schaub's family members, dropped out when they moved out of the district. A federal appeals court recently upheld a lower court's ruling that Schaub's teenage daughter was not sufficiently harmed by the monument to have legal standing in the suit.

Schaub is the only publicly named plaintiff, which she said has resulted in death threats and an invasion of her privacy.

During its convention in Pittsburgh Saturday, the Freedom From Religion Foundation presented Schaub with its “Atheist in a Foxhole Courage Award” for her willingness to stay strong in the face of community backlash.

“She is small in stature,” said foundation staff attorney Patrick Elliott. “But she will be (instrumental) in lifting a 2-ton monument. She has not wavered.”

In a Tribune-Review interview and in remarks Saturday at the convention, Schaub said she was surprised by the vitriol directed her way, including from school district representatives who she said “took to Facebook like (Donald) Trump takes to Twitter.”

As part of the lawsuit, Schaub's social media, email and other electronic accounts were subpoenaed, allowing lawyers and others access as they sought comments that might relate to the case.

“It was certainly an uncomfortable experience,” she said.

Schaub said she opted not to be anonymous: “I knew I'd have a hard time keeping my mouth shut,” she joked.

“Everyone wants to fit in and not go against the grain. That's not me. This is kind of the person I've always been,” she added.

Schaub, a self-described atheist, said she was raised in a nominally Christian household and went to Sunday school as a child, but thought the Biblical stories she learned were make-believe.

“I thought everyone knew that it was pretend and not everyone was taking it seriously,” Schaub said.

“Whenever I came to be a teenager, I realized I was an atheist. I felt like an outsider my whole life because of it,” Schaub said, “I knew other people were still pretending and I wasn't.”

Schaub said she welcomes the encouraging words from foundation members and the online atheist community fighting to maintain the separation of church and state.

“I'm not afraid to say I'm an atheist,” Schaub said. “I do feel like you should not hurt people. I believe in social justice and equality. And that ties in to this monument. It's very unfair to have this one representation of beliefs. School should be a neutral place.”

Her daughter's name was not made public and she now attends classes at another Alle-Kiski Valley school district. Schaub said her child hasn't been “outed” and targeted with negativity for being involved in the case.

“I wholeheartedly believe if she would've stayed in Valley High School, I know they would've treated her differently,” Schaub said.

Schaub was encouraged Saturday by Steven Hewett, the 2015 recipient of FFRF's “Atheist in a Foxhole Courage Award.” Hewitt was involved in the successful legal challenge of a Christian flag at a veterans memorial in King, N.C. Hewett is an atheist, former police officer and military veteran who served in Afghanistan.

“We support you 100 percent,” Hewett told Schaub. “It will get better.”

Schaub said recent developments give her hope the Ten Commandments monument will soon be removed from Valley.

A federal appeals court recently sent her case back to federal court in Pittsburgh, where a judge last year ruled the similar Ten Commandments monument at Connellsville Area School District was unconstitutional. The Connellsville Decalogue was removed from school property.

Also, New Kensington-Arnold school officials in recent weeks publicly discussed for the first time voluntarily removing the monument to unspecified private property.

“Ultimately, we want the same thing: to feel welcome and accepted,” Schaub told the convention crowd. “Be brave. Stand up for your rights.”

Liz Hayes is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at lhayes@tribweb.com or 724-226-4680.