FFRF received a complaint that the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) hosted a soccer tournament that included prayer. Video footage revealed that a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes delivered an invocation at the Athens versus Chelsea girls soccer championship.

FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel wrote a letter on July 31, 2012, to remind the AHSAA that even student-initiated and student-led prayers at public school events are unconstitutional, and has been specifically barred by the Supreme Court. Students may not be subjected to religious ritual as the price of attending or participating in school sporting events. Any reasonable observer would perceive that the school was endorsing the religion espoused in the prayer.

AHSAA responded on August 6 that “we certainly appreciate your concerns and take very seriously our duties and obligations under federal and state law. To that end, we intend to fully comply with all constitutional mandates.”

Thanks to a letter from FFRF, the Rocky River Municipal Court will now offer secular alternatives to Alcoholics Anonymous.

As part of a rehabilitation program in Rocky River, which is just west of Cleveland, the court required some offenders to either attend Alcoholics Anonymous or face jail time. An atheist complainant reported that the probation conditions were unworkable and said, “all I want is a viable alternative to AA other than jail.”

Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott wrote a March 16, 2012, letter to the court’s probation department, pointing out that courts have consistently found AA and other 12-step programs to be “religious programs for purposes of First Amendment analysis.” Therefore, requiring attendance at one of the programs violates the Establishment Clause because “it coerces offenders to attend religious programming in violation of their conscience.” 

The Chief Probation Officer Judy Nash responded on August 1 to report that the Rocky River Municipal Court will now offer offenders options for other support. Nash also said that the court will make available information on Rational Recovery and Secular Organizations for Sobriety.

When it comes to public school assemblies, evangelists need not apply. Thanks to a letter from Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert, Signal Mountain Middle/High School is on notice that future school assemblies cannot use warnings about alcohol as pretext for Christian proselytization.

Our complainant alerted us to an assembly at Signal Mountain Middle/High School (Chattanooga, Tenn.) that featured a speech by Dave Walton. The school brought in Mr. Walton to speak of the dangers of alcohol but a cursory search of his website, www.braggingforjesus.org, reveals his ulterior motives. In her July 26, 2012, letter to the school district, Markert wrote that “given the speaker’s over and primarily Christian message, it is troubling that the district would schedule this speaker for the assembly.” She identified such assemblies as “subvert[ing] constitutional mandates” with the purpose of “inject[ing] Christianity into students.”

Markert’s powerful letter demanding positive action garnered a quick response. The attorney for Hamilton County Schools wrote on Aug. 1 that many faculty members were also concerned that the presentation was inappropriate and that the presentation resulted from a “gross failure” to screen the speaker. Hamilton County Schools have acknowledged the grave error and their attorney calls this “a good story for training.” 

Performances from proselytizing groups will no longer be allowed in Joshua Independent School District, thanks to an FFRF complaint.

A North Joshua Elementary School assembly was hosted by KidStand, a Christian ministry group that stages school performances to convert children to Christianity. KidStand targets children under age 14 “to reach children with the Gospel of Christ before the window of opportunity diminishes greatly.” KidStand veils their religious agenda by claiming their school assemblies address secular topics such as bullying and drugs, but they admit that they perform in hopes that “kids will bring their families to the Community Family Festival where we can teach they can be all they are created to be through Jesus.”

A Feb. 1, 2012, letter from FFRF staff attorney Stephanie Schmitt warned “recruitment for religious programming as part of a school assembly is in violation of the Establishment Clause.”

An attorney for the District agreed in a response on July 30 that the KidStand performance was against the policy of the District, and that disciplinary action was taken. The District confirmed, “this type of assembly will not occur in the future at Joshua ISD.”

The outgoing recorded message of the License Office in Rolla, Mo. no longer includes an endorsement of religion.

The Rolla License Office voice mail greeting, which played when the line was busy and during non-business hours, ended “God bless you.”

In a July 11, 2012, letter, FFRF staff attorney Stephanie Schmitt wrote that this message amounts to a government endorsement of religion “thereby alienating non-believers by turning them into political outsiders in their own community.”

On July 28, FFRF learned that the outgoing message had been changed to replace “god bless you” with “have a wonderful day.”

The Tishomingo County School District will no longer allow teachers to lead students in prayer.

Teachers at Iuka Elementary School in Iuka, Miss., were leading their students in prayers before heading to lunch. The prayers became a normal daily routine, with teachers encouraging students to volunteer to lead the class in prayer before lunch.

FFRF staff attorney Stephanie Schmitt wrote in a May 3, 2012, letter, “It is well settled that a public school teacher or administrator may not lead, direct or ask her students to engage in prayer.”

On July 23, Superintendent Ben McClung responded, stating “we understand that teachers cannot encourage students to pray or lead students in prayer.” He assured FFRF that these issues would be addressed with faculty and staff before the school year begins.

An invocation and benediction were given at the 2012 Mercer County High School graduation ceremony in Frankfort Ky. Both prayers, also listed in the official program for the ceremony, made references to Jesus Christ and one ended with a genuflection.

FFRF Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote to the school district on June 8, 2012, reminding it that "the Supreme Court has continually struck down prayers at school-sponsored events, including public school graduations." Markert requested "written assurances that the Mercer County High School and Mercer County Schools are taking the appropriate steps to ensure that religious rituals are not part of graduation ceremonies or any other school-sponsored events in the future."

On July 20 the school district's attorney wrote, "I have advised that there should not be any prayers as part of the ceremony." He added, "While planning for the graduation ceremony in the Spring of 2013 has not yet occurred, it is my understanding the School District representatives intend to make the necessary changes to next year's graduation so that this is no longer an issue."

FFRF wrote to Maury County Public Schools (Columbia, Tenn.) in July 2012 regarding a trailer from WellSpring Christian Church that was permanently parked next to the sign for Spring Hill Elementary. The church uses the elementary school for worship services on Sunday. FFRF Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote that it "is inappropriate for the District to permit advertisement of religious organizations or churches, especially a permanent advertisement, on school property. Even if allowed to rent District facilities to churches, a public school should not allow for any activity that would give the appearance of promoting or supporting religion." She asked that the trailer "be removed or displayed only during the church's actual rental time . . ."

An attorney for the school district responded on July 19 that "The church has been informed that this trailer, along with any other advertisement it utilizes, may only be upon school grounds immediately before and during the time in which the church utilizes the school facilities."

Earlier this spring, FFRF received a complaint from a New York resident who reported that one of the science teachers at Public School 76 Queens (a NYC public school) displayed a cross on the wall next to the blackboard. This display also included the words "love god."

FFRF Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote to the principal of the school on May 8, 2012, that "it is well settled that public schools may not advance, prefer or promote religion." She added "courts have continually held that school districts may not display religious messages or iconography on the walls..." Markert asked the district to "take immediate action to remove the cross..."

On July 18 the principal responded that "the item has been removed."

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has stopped a violation in which soldiers were being forced to mow Catholic Charities' lawn.

FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel drafted and sent a letter on July 5 on behalf of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and also signed by American Atheists, objecting to using U.S. soldiers to support Catholic Social Services of Augusta. The Regimental Noncommissioned Officer Academy’s Advanced Leader Course (ALC) at Fort Gordon, Ga., ordered soldiers to “provide area beautification support to the Catholic Social Services.”

FFRF’s complainant has assured Seidel that the “program with Catholic Social Services has ceased.”

A graduating senior contacted FFRF to report that East Limestone High School in Athens, Ala., had scheduled an official graduation invocation and benediction, in which te student leading the prayer asked everyone to bow their heads and pray. The invocation and benediction were listed in the graduation schedule.

The student complainant, who identified herself as an atheist, noted she was offended at being told to pray at her graduating ceremony: “I just felt uncomfortable, and it seemed like our school was publicly supporting the faith of the majority in my school.” FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel pointed out in his June 4, 2012 letter that Supreme Court precedent has explicitly “ruled prayers at public school graduations an impermissible establishment of religion.” Seidel also pointed out that these prayers alienate the one in four nonbelieving Americans under the age of 29.

After writing two more follow-up letters to the Limestone County Board of Education, FFRF was told by the superintendent on Aug. 21 that the schools “have been informed of the law and have taken appropriate steps to ensure that religious prayers will not be scheduled or endorsed as a part of the graduation ceremonies or any other school sponsored events.”

A member contacted FFRF regarding an invocation included in the 2011 commencement ceremony at Field Local Schools in Mogadore, Ohio. This prayer was listed in the official program and given by the class treasurer.

FFRF Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote to the superintendent: "The Supreme Court has settled this matter — high school graduations must be secular to protect the freedom of conscience of all students." Receiving no response, FFRF followed up on July 2011 and again in February 2012.

In a March 27 letter the attorney for the school district wrote that "Field High School will not have prayer at graduation ceremonies and has enacted policies prohibiting prayer at graduation." The letter included a copy of the newly enacted policies which specifically state ". . . school officials may not mandate or organize prayer at graduation nor organize religious baccalaureate ceremonies." The school district confirmed in late August that no prayer was scheduled for the 2012 graduation ceremony.

FFRF was informed that a staff member at the college sent an email to all district employees via various faculty and staff listservs inviting them all to join a prayer at the pole event. The email advocated for Christian prayer and contained several New Testament verses. The staff member also used the following as his email signature: "BY GRACE ALONE THROUGH FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE."

FFRF Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote to the chancellor at Peralta Community College in Oakland, Calif., April 4, 2012, over inappropriate religious proselytizing via work email. Markert noted in her letter "that statements of college employees — even emails sent to faculty and staff listservs — are attributable to the school" and that "no public school employee may urge religious points of view on coworkers or other employees." Markert asked the college to "take appropriate steps to ensure no employee is inappropriately utilizing state resources to push a religious agenda."

General Counsel for the college informed Markert on Aug. 22 that the employee who sent the email is no longer sending out emails with religious content and was instructed to remove the religious quote from his email signature.

FFRF ended a church bulletin discount at Las Banderas Mexican Restaurant in Valdosta, Ga., giving 20% off of food for customers who brought in a church bulletin.

The restaurant owner agreed to end the discount and remove the promotion from the restaurant website. FFRF Staff Attorney Stephanie Schmitt complained on Aug. 16, 2012, and received a phone call from the owner on Aug. 22. 

On behalf of a local complainant, FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel wrote to Dougherty County School, Ga., on May 23, 2012, to point out numerous constitutional violations by an area representative of Fellowship for Christian Athletes, who gave post-game prayers to Westover and Dougherty High School football teams in Albany, Ga.

FCA rep Bill Cox would gather the team and coaches around him and tell them to kneel. Prayers included: “Thank you most of all for the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for us,” “Thank you Lord Jesus for dying on the cross to save us from our sins,” “we thank you most of all for Jesus Christ who died on the cross 2,000 years ago.”

Dougherty Superintendent Joshua Murfree replied on Aug. 23 that Cox “is not connected to the school system in any way.” “His activities are inconsistent with the practices of the school system, and I have issued instructions that, because of his activities Mr. Bill Cox is not to be permitted to come upon school property or to attend school-sponsored functions.” The superintendent “reiterated to our athletic employees our practice of not permitting prayer at athletic functions. . .”