A Cranston, R.I. school committee says it will not remove a prayer banner from a public high school despite legal threats from the American Civil Liberties Union.

The banner uses the phrase "Our Heavenly Father" and ends with "Amen." The banner has hung on the walls of Cranston High School West since the 1950s.

Although students aren't required to recite the prayer, the ACLU says the banner violates student's First Amendment rights.

According to a report from local television station WPRI, the Rhode Island affiliate of the ACLU is planning to sue the school board over the banner.

Cranston school officials say they are prepared for the legal battle, although three of the seven school committee members voted against keeping the banner. They were concerned about the cost of a lawsuit.