Roy Speckhardt
Roy Speckhardt | |
|---|---|
 Roy Speckhardt, 2012 | |
| Born | January 24, 1973 |
| Occupation | Executive director of the American Humanist Association |
Roy Speckhardt, born January 24, 1973, in Carmel, New York, is the executive director of the American Humanist Association, a non-profit civil liberties organization in Washington DC.
Biography
Speckhardt earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Mary Washington College and a Master of Business Administration, with a concentration in information systems management, from George Mason University. In addition to his college education, he received specialized training in nonprofit tax law, financial management, grassroots organizing, fundraising, and dispute resolution.[where?]
Early in his career, Speckhardt was a fundraiser for various causes, including AIDS research and wildlife conservation, and worked on the "World Difference Campaign" of the Anti-Defamation League. He worked for The Interfaith Alliance from 1995 to 2001 as deputy director in charge of staff. Speckhardt worked as the director of membership and programs of the American Humanist Association for four years, is executive director. The American Humanist Association is the oldest and one of the largest groups of humanists and atheists in the United States.
Challenges to "Pledge of Allegiance"
In 2013 Speckhardt argued that the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance violates the Equal Protection Amendment of the Massachusetts Constitution.[1] In May 2014 the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruled that the pledge was a "fundamentally patriotic exercise, not a religious one". [2] In 2014, the AHA likewise brought suit against the state of New Jersey.[3]
Other activities
Speckhardt serves on the boards of directors of the Humanist Institute, the Institute for Humanist Studies, the United Coalition of Reason, and the Secular Coalition for America.
Speckhardt has appeared on CNN Headline News, Fox News' Fox and Friends, Good Morning America, and National Public Radio. He currently writes a regular column for The Huffington Post and Patheos.
Notes
- ^ Conlon, Kevin. "'Under God' part of Pledge of Allegiance under review in Massachusetts", CNN, September 4, 2013
- ^ Sanchez, Ray and Crook III, Lawrence. "Massachusetts highest court: Pledge of Allegiance not religious", CNN, May 9, 2014
- ^ Winston, Kimberley. "New Jersey lawsuit seeks to ban Pledge of Allegiance", Religion News Service, April 21, 2014