Nottoway, Va., Public Schools students who do not attend religious “release time” will no longer be forced to clean rooms or do extra homework. At least one student at Blackstone Primary School who didn’t participate in a religious class off-campus was required to sweep and dust classrooms until the other students returned. In addition, class instructors reportedly pressured nonparticipating students to attend.
“Allowing release-time instructors to cajole primary students despite their parents’ objection is impermissible. Forcing nonparticipating students to partake in punitive exercises like dusting and sweeping, rather than enrichment activities, is downright coercive,” wrote Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott in an April 14 letter.
The district responded the next day, saying that what FFRF described as happening was not consistent with school policy and that teachers had been advised of those concerns.