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ECU Officials Reverse Professor's Ban On Graduates Thanking God At Graduation Ceremony

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Officials at East Carolina University in North Carolina are reversing a professor's ban on graduates thanking God, Fox News reported.

Eli Hvastkovs, assistant professor of chemistry, sent out an email to his students on May 1 prohibiting them from mentioning God in their personal statements during their departmental ceremony.

Instead he instructed students to prepare a "family friendly" 35-word statement that mentions future plans, Campus Reform reported, citing an email Hvastkovs sent to chemistry students.

"I've had some submissions that needed to be edited. So [sic] here are some guidelines," the email reads. "1. You can't thank God. I'm sorry about this - and I don't want to have to outline the reasons why."

Hvastkovs told Campus Reform he sent the email banning the mention of God at commencement after too many students recognized religious figures during last year's event.

"It's not a religious ceremony," Hvastkovs said. "It's purely educational."

University officials told WNCT-TV that the email was not "authorized by the school" and that it is not a school policy.  They also said they are using the incident to boost awareness of students' free speech rights.

The university's Provost Dr. Marilyn Sheerer said that religious references "of any type" will not be restricted.

"These statements can be your personal expressions and as such the University will only limit these expressions, as permitted by applicable First Amendment law," Sheerer said.

The university's Executive Director of Communication Mary Schulken told Campus Reform that students are allow to thank God during the campus-wide graduation because "the First Amendment allows them ... to thank any force or any individual that they so desire."

Shortly after Hvastkovs's interview with Campus Reform, Sheerer released an email advising students disregard Hvastkovs's guidelines.

Sheerer told students that "[r]eligious references of any type will not be restricted," and the "[u]niversity will only limit these expressions, as permitted by applicable First Amendment law."

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