Fox News host Elisabeth Hasselbeck argued on Wednesday that "In God We Trust" was an appropriate motto for public schools because it was printed on U.S. currency.
Last month, Principal Albert Hardison removed all references to "In God We Trust" at Ridgewood Middle School after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) accused Caddo Parish schools in Louisiana of violating the First Amendment.
But Students with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes launched a campaign to have the words restored to the school's sign, which they said had been there for at least 15 years. To protest, the group handed out T-shirts during lunch period featuring images of a Bible, a sword, and the hashtag "#iSTAND."
Just hours later, the school announced that "In God We Trust" would be put back on the school sign.
"It's printed on our money," pastor Joey Ketchum told KSLA. "And when our forefathers started this country -- 'In God We Trust' -- they were talking about Jehovah God."
On Wednesday, Ketchum told Hasselbeck that the motto should remain on the sign because members of the community enjoyed seeing the words, and it was "a big part of our day."
"Of course it is," Hasselbeck agreed. "If it is good for the money it should be good enough for the sign. A lot of people feel that way."
According to the pastor, officials changed their minds about the sign "within minutes" of when the Fellowship of Christian Athletes passed out Bible T-shirts at the school.
"Our principal, Scott Aymond, just couldn't move fast enough to get that back up," he explained.
"Well, it's a job well done by the students there," Hasselbeck said. "If it's good enough for our money, it's good enough for our school sign."
Watch the video below from Fox News' Fox & Friends, broadcast April 29, 2015.
