Teacher-led prayers are no longer part of the lunch hour at Alpha Charter School in Garland, Texas, thanks to action taken by the FFRF.
A parent reported their child’s second-grade teacher to FFRF for leading her students in prayer every day before lunch. The school principal had not taken action despite being made aware of the situation.
Public schools “must not promote decidedly religious messages to a captive student audience, thereby isolating and excluding those students who are non-Christian or nonreligious,” Staff Attorney Sam Grover told the school. Grover also pointed to FFRF’s recent successful lawsuit against praying teachers in Emanuel County, Ga., declaring, “FFRF is committed to defending the rights of students in public schools. Given how young and impressionable these students are, this violation of the law is particularly egregious.”
The school responded on Dec. 17, saying that they had investigated the situation and met with the teacher in question, who now “understands her responsibility in regards to separation of church and state.”
