Georgia
FFRF fought to make sure that high school basketball players from the Whitfield County Schools system based in Dalton won’t be forced to attend an overtly religious meeting during practice time.
A district parent reported that the girls’ basketball team coach required all student athletes to participate in a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting. FFRF learned that on Nov. 11, 2024, the coach took the girls’ basketball players into New Hope Middle School’s cafeteria for an FCA meeting that lasted approximately 15 minutes. FFRF’s complainant explained that the surprise FCA meeting occurred during the team’s normal practice time, and that the players and their parents were not told that the final 15 minutes of practice would include a mandatory FCA meeting. Reportedly, during the meeting, adult FCA representatives spoke to the team members about religion and distributed religious materials to basketball team members.
“It is inappropriate and illegal for a public school coach to require students to attend a religious club’s meeting,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote.
Cory O. Kirby from the Pereira, Kirby, Kingsinger & Ngyuen LLP law firm responded on behalf of the district. “The administration has discussed this matter with [the coach] at New Hope Middle School as well as all other athletic coaches and administrators in the district,” Kirby wrote. “The district is confident that all its schools make good faith efforts to fully comply with the requirements of the Constitution and protects the rights of all parties.”
