The Freedom From Religion Foundation successfully blocked religious groups from recruiting and proselytizing students at Newman Middle School in Oklahoma.
Members of a local church came to the middle school at lunchtime to hand out pamphlets that contained bible quotes and the church’s address. They also reportedly asked students to attend their church.
FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel contacted Skiatook Public Schools Superintendent Rick Thomas in a June 3 letter, outlining the legal and ethical problems with allowing a religious group to prey on a captive audience of minors.
Thomas responded on June 11 that the middle school’s administrators “were not aware” the crusading outsiders were given access to their students. “Visitors are not allowed to hand out information and should not be recruiting for any religious group,” he said. “We will do our best to make sure this type of thing does not happen in the future.”
