EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio – East Liverpool High School students were determined not to let the Freedom From Religion Foundation ruin their graduation.

The Wisconsin-based atheist group threatened district officials with litigation over plans for the school’s choir to sing The Lord’s Prayer at Sunday’s commencement ceremonies – a 70-year tradition that students were looking forward to, WTOV reports.

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School board members opted to acquiesce to FFRF’s demands to avoid a lawsuit the district can’t afford and they removed the song from the graduation program last Sunday.

“We said ‘okay, we just won’t do it anymore.’ It was a decision made because we don’t have a lot of money and we’d rather hire teachers than pay lawyers,” school board president Larry Walton told the news site.

The decision didn’t sit well with the class of 2016.

“I know a lot of my student body was uncomfortable with it, just because it is tradition to have prayer at our school,” class vice president Cami Post said.

So when valedictorian Jonathan Montgomery took the podium Sunday, he paused, raised his arms, and nearly all of the 125 graduates rose to their feet. Students then recited The Lord’s Prayer in unison before sitting back down to a roaring applause, WCMH reports.

“It was totally spontaneous, apparently something the kids wanted to do. I had no knowledge of it. The crowd seemed to support it,” East Liverpool Superintendent Melissa Watson said told The Intelligencer.

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“We stand up for what we believe in,” class president Zach Adkins said.

The news site reports only about a half dozen students chose not to participate and sat quietly in their seats.

The defiance undoubtedly pleased Salineville Assembly of God Pastor Rodney Ohler, who came to the school ceremony with parishioners to show support for prayer in school.

“The idea of one person or two or three standing up and saying they don’t want prayer back in school or even singing or reciting is sad,” Ohler told WTOV.

Board president Walton told The Intelligencer that district officials are considering a nondenominational baccalaureate graduation service for 2017 for students who prefer to keep God in the program.

The students standing up for their beliefs ignited a firestorm online.

“Anyone who couldn’t sit there quietly while The Lord’s Prayer was sung, which probably took less than five minutes, needs their heads examined,” USA Rocks posted in the WCMH comments.

“This happened to me when I was in high school, and it was disturbing. Non-Christians shouldn’t have to put up with this in public schools,” Contrary countered.

“I should have to homeschool my kids because Christians feel the need to dominate the public sphere?” Contrary questioned.

“Take them to their ‘safe space,’” C.D. Gibson replied. “Sheesh. Grow up.”