The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation compensated 12-year-old Maia Disbrow, a local school actress of Hixson, TN, $1,000 for her testimony before the Hamilton County Commission concerning the atheists' lawsuit to ban the name of Jesus from county meetings.For background, read Wisconsin Atheists Want Prayer Stopped in Tennessee and also read Prayer Ban Increases Prayer at Hamilton School Football Game as well as Prayer in America: Hidden Faith, or Public?
-- From "12-year-old Hixson girl awarded $1,000 for speaking out against commission prayer" by Staff Report, Chattanooga Times Free Press 8/6/12
"During elementary school, I was bullied about my beliefs and whenever the subject of my religion, or lack thereof, came up, my social status dropped for a few days," Disbrow said [see video]. "When I realized that the county commissioners were actually behaving like a bunch of fifth-grade bullies, I sat down and started writing my address to them."
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From "Hixson girl awarded for speaking out against commission prayer" by Ken Nicholson, Host/Producer WRCB-TV3 8/6/12 (Chattanooga)
A release from the Freedom From Religion Foundation says Maia Disbrow, a student at the Center for Creative Arts, received $1,000 for her speech July 18, asking commissioners to drop prayer before meetings.
"I realized that there were some things I'd like to say to them," Maia says. "It took me a while to decide because even though I go to a middle school for the arts that is supposed to accept everyone, I was worried."
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From "12-Year-Old Who Spoke Before County Commission On Prayer Issue Gets $1,000 Scholarship" posted at The Chattanoogan 8/6/12
[Maia Disbrow] becomes the fifth and youngest student to receive a student activist award from FFRF in 2012, and the third student awardee from Tennessee this year. Krystal Myers, 18, of Lenoir City, received a $1,000 award from FFRF this spring after her column, “No Rights: The Life of an Atheist,” was banned from her high school newspaper. Jeff Shott, 17, of Spring Hill also received $1,000 after dressing up as Jesus Christ for Fictional Character Day and protesting state-church entanglements at his high school.
Maia will be entering seventh grade at the Center for Creative Arts. She loves to read, having taught herself to read at 18 months, will be appearing in a local production of “Medea,” has a dog and two guinea pigs, and a younger brother, Logan.
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker "praised Maia for speaking out against government prayer, something most adults are not able to do."
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