Stevens Creek Elementary School teacher Stephen Williams settled his lawsuit against the Cupertino Union School District's superintendent, William Bragg, Stevens Creek Elementary's principal and the school board on Aug. 11.

Williams, a self-described Orthodox Christian, had claimed his First Amendment rights were violated when he was prevented from using certain religious material in his fifth-grade classroom. The material included a statement on prayer by President Bush and a fact sheet created by Williams titled "What Great Leaders Have Said About the Bible."

As a result, in May 2004, Stevens Creek's principal asked to review Williams' lesson plans in advance. After attempting to resolve the issue on his own, Williams filed suit with the help of the Alliance Defense Fund--a largely Christian-supported organization--in November 2004.

The lawsuit generated a storm of media attention. Hannity and Colmes, a Fox News talk show, for instance, came to Cupertino in December and filmed a special program on the issue. In March 2005, New Yorker magazine also published a lengthy article on the subject.

The lawsuit also generated a storm of negative attention for the community. Public officials and school officials received thousands of angry letters and emails. Stevens Creek Elementary also received threats, and for a time, the West Valley Substation posted sheriff's officers outside the school.

Such attention should now be in the past.

According to the settlement, the district's policy allows for teachers, regardless of their faith, to use appropriate material during lessons involving religious content. The material must also apply to the curriculum. There was no financial settlement.

At the moment, the new policy will not affect Williams. The school transferred him to Hyde Middle School in a move he describes as an administrative transfer. Williams is scheduled to teach technology at Hyde, although he had preferred to remain at Stevens Creek Elementary and teach American history, which he described as his passion.

Even so, Williams is happy to have the lawsuit behind him.

"All along I have been seeking a settlement, that was my hope and intention," he said. "I have kept an open policy and am glad we were able to meet and reach a mutually agreeable settlement."