The Freedom From Religion Foundation has made certain that a middle school in Loudon, Tenn., from now on will not be having graduation ceremonies infused with religion.
A concerned community parent informed the state/church watchdog that North Middle School’s May 14 graduation took place at the local First Baptist Church. FFRF also learned that the ceremony started with a prayer. The school’s program indicated that a First Baptist Church pastor delivered the invocation. The complainant notes that a youth pastor was invited on stage to deliver a long sectarian prayer to students.
FFRF took action to protect the constitutional rights of students and community members.
“In order to respect students’ First Amendment rights, the district must ensure that all future graduations and other school-sponsored events do not include prayers and that churches do not serve as official venues,” FFRF Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow Hirsh M. Joshi wrote to Loudon County Schools Superintendent Michael Garren.
Students have a constitutional right to be free from religious indoctrination in public schools, FFRF pointed out. The Supreme Court has continually struck down prayers at school-sponsored events, including public school graduations. Similarly, it is inappropriate for the district to hold important, milestone events at churches. Many courts have held that holding graduations in churches violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. By having prayer at its church-based graduation ceremony, the district abridged that duty and needlessly excluded students who are a part of the 49 percent of Generation Z that is religiously unaffiliated.
Thankfully, the district was willing to listen to reason.
An attorney for the school district has verified that the secular U.S. Constitution has come out on top. “I wanted to confirm that the school system looked into the allegations set forth in your prior letter, and we have and will take steps to ensure they are not repeated,” Chris McCarty has emailed FFRF.
FFRF is glad that students will no longer have to put up with proselytization while celebrating their achievements.
“Church graduations with clergy-delivered prayer is an unholy combination of constitutional violations,” adds Joshi. “The district, with the help of counsel, did the right thing.”
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor agrees.
“Graduation is a time to celebrate the students and their accomplishments, not to give the credit to someone else’s deity,” she says. “This change to conform to constitutional dictates will make the graduation ceremonies welcoming and inclusive to all.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national educational nonprofit with more than 40,000 members and several chapters across the country, including hundreds of members and a chapter in Tennessee. FFRF protects the constitutional separation between state and church and educates about nontheism.
