YULEE, Fla. – It took less than a week of public outrage to convince the Nassau County School District to allow the phrase “God Bless America” in schools after officials caved to legal threats over its use in morning announcements.

Last week, Yulee High School officials received a letter from the American Humanist Association – an atheist advocacy group – stating that some students objected to the “God Bless America” sign-off used by a student who runs the morning announcements.

The Association alleged the phrase is a “constitutional violation” that’s inappropriate.

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“Every day these students must witness the State, through its public schools, define patriotism in a way that portrays God belief as consistent with ideal patriotism and disbelief as something less. Indeed, the daily validation of the religious views of God-believers resigns atheists to second-class citizens. Because attendance is mandatory, the students have no way of avoiding this daily message either,” according to the letter, cited by 10 News.

District spokeswoman Sheryl Wood responded by banning students from using the patriotic phrase during the morning announcements because it’s not in the script.

“Students at Yulee High are free to express their beliefs all day long, but not during the school announcement,” she said. “This student deviated from the script; he is a good student and he meant no harm.”

The Florida Times-Union reports the district clarified its position on the matter Tuesday, countering the AHA’s claim the phrase is unconstitutional while sticking to the ban on its unscripted use during announcements.

A press release issued by the school board states:

Upon consultation with legal counsel and review of legal advisories, the Nassau County School District has taken the position that a student’s use of the phrase ‘God Bless America’ during the morning announcements at Yulee High School does not violate the Constitution of the United States.

We feel that the complaint filed on behalf of another student through the American Humanist Association should not supersede the right of other students to use the phrase, as it does not promote any religious denomination and is commonly used as an expression of patriotism. …

We are confident in the legal counsel that our school board attorneys have provided in this circumstance. Our hope is the phrase ‘God Bless America’ will continue to ring in the halls of Congress, in our stadiums, in our arenas, in the halls of our schools and, most importantly, in the hearts of our children.

It won’t, however, be part of the morning announcements without permission from district officials.

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Wood told Reuters “the admonition not to add to the (morning announcement) script applies to anything.”