Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. v. Emanuel County School System
United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
109 F.Supp.3d 1353 (2015)
FFRF and the Does (plaintiffs), including their two elementary-school-aged children, sued the Emanuel County School System and individual educators (defendants) under Section 1983 and the Establishment Clause, alleging endorsement of classroom prayer. The Does sought to litigate under pseudonyms, submitting declarations that their children had been bullied, singled out, and ostracized by teachers and pressured to join prayer against their parents' wishes, and feared broader community reprisal if their identities became public.
Whether a party may remain anonymous during litigation when a substantial privacy right outweighs the customary and constitutional presumption of openness in judicial proceedings.