John DePetro -- host of a current events talk program on WPRO Radio in Providence, Rhode Island -- has been no fan of Jessica Ahlquist - a 16-year-old Rhode Island high school student who successfully challenged the constitutionality of a prayer banner in her school.
Most recently, DePetro wrote the following on his Facebook page,
To the followers of this page. Just a note to apologize for the hate that has emerged from the atheist world- wide following the Cranston prayer story. I have never encountered such a bunch of angry,depraved,degenerates in my life. Thank God they only make up less then 4% of the population, and even less in Rhode Island. I feel sorry for the child atheist who has joined forces with such misfits who offer nothing to society. My faith in Jesus is stronger. I support keeping the prayer up at Cranston West. In the name of the Father,the Son,and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
DePetro's website contains the following text under a picture of Ahlquist, “The girl behind it all. Is she a pawn of the ACLU? The battle for God plays out in Cranston West, as a judge orders God removed from the wall” in addition to other text reading, “Does the ACLU control Rhode Island” and “No room for Jesus at the Rhode Island State House. No room for his Father in Cranston.” DePetro also notes, on his Facebook page, referring to the scholarship fund for Ahlquist, “It pays not to believe in anything. It is all a big money grab.”
On January 19, the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation -- Annie Laurie-Gaylor -- spoke with DePetro and said, “It looks like the whole state of Rhode Island is against one little girl,” rebuked DePetro and a state legislator on his program who called Ahlquist “an evil little thing” and noted, “There is something very wrong in the state of Rhode Island.”
The level of civility surrounding the prayer banner issue -- despite the prayer banner's text which reads, "Help us to be good sports when we lose as well as when we win," "Help us always to conduct ourselves so as to bring credit to Cranston High School West" and "To be kind and helpful to our classmates and teachers" -- has been quite disconcerting; aside from comments made by DePetro and on his radio show, Ahlquist has received various threats and other nasty comments that have led to her being shadowed by police in school.
Following the publication of this article, I was contacted by John DePetro who believed the headline of this article was misleading. His comments about atheists, he says, were meant to address those who commented on his Facebook page or otherwise sent messages to him and not meant to address Jessica Ahlquist.
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