A kindergarten teacher at Arab Primary School in Arab, Ala., will no longer lead students in prayer after FFRF sent the superintendent a letter of complaint.
The teacher lined up the students before lunch and made them recite, “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for this food. By his hands, we all are fed, give us Lord our daily bread. Amen.” Staff Attorney Sam Grover wrote to Arab City Schools Superintendent John Mullins on Sept. 25 objecting to this practice. “Public school teachers may not lead their students in prayer, encourage students to pray, participate in student-initiated prayer, or otherwise endorse religion to students.”
On Oct. 1, Mullins informed FFRF that “a brief investigation into this matter confirmed the validity of the complaint. We have corrected the situation and educated our kindergarten teachers to assure future compliance with the Establishment Clause.”
Standing for pledge no longer required
Teachers within Plaquemines Parish Schools in Louisiana will no longer force students to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance after FFRF wrote two complaints on behalf of a Belle Chasse High School student.
Previously, students who refused to stand had been informed they were required to stand, taken out of class, and punished. In addition, prayers at football games, Veterans Day events, and other school events will not occur in the future.
“Students must not be singled out or punished in any way for choosing not to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance,” wrote Staff Attorney Sam Grover in a letter on Oct. 1. “The Supreme Court ruled over seventy years ago that compelling a student to recite the Pledge and salute the flag infringed upon a student’s First Amendment rights.”
Superintendent Denis Rousselle called Grover on Oct. 7 and said that he “took care of the situation” immediately after receiving FFRF’s letter. Rousselle said he would not tolerate students being punished for exercising their free speech rights, even though he doesn’t agree with the decision.
Grover wrote about the unconstitutional prayers on Nov. 6. “While it is laudable for Belle Chasse High to organize an assembly to honor veterans, it is unconstitutional to allow any religious message or prayer to be part of a school-sponsored event,” he said.
Rousselle responded by email on Nov. 9, telling Grover that the district would no longer include prayers at school events.
Coordinated signups for religious club ended
Audubon Park Elementary School in Florida will no longer coordinate signups for the Good News Club, an evangelical Christian children’s group, after FFRF filed complaints with the Orange County Public Schools, one of the largest school districts in the country.
FFRF has lodged many complaints and even filed a lawsuit against OCPS over the past several years. Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent the latest letter on Sept. 23 to the district’s two attorneys objecting to a permission slip from the Good News Club, which directed students to return the form to an assistant principal at the school.
“When school employees collect registration forms for a religious club, that teacher appears to endorse that club,” Seidel said.
Attorney John C. Palmerini informed Seidel on Oct. 12 that the principal would no longer facilitate registrations for the Good News Club.
Religious messages removed from school
Bible verses posted by school officials have been removed from Germantown High School in Madison, Miss., following an FFRF complaint.
A note reading “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23” and signed “Your assistant principals Syl Burrell & Nason Lollar” was posted on the high school gym doors.
“This is an egregious violation of the Establishment Clause and of students’ rights,” wrote Staff Attorney Sam Grover. The school district “must ensure its employees are not unlawfully promoting their personal religious beliefs to students by using its schools as a platform to proselytize.”
In a letter of response on Sept. 29, an attorney for the school district denied that a constitutional violation had occurred, but noted that the message had been removed and said the district would “monitor any messages left in the school and remove any message that is proselytizing for any particular religion.”
Texas principal won’t attend prayer event
Prosper (Texas) High School Principal Greg Wright will no longer participate in See You At The Pole, an annual Christian student prayer event, after hearing about the issue from FFRF. Wright’s involvement in a religious student club is also ending, and a cross and plaque about God displayed by an assistant principal have been removed.
FFRF notified Prosper Independent School District Superintendent Drew Watkins of these constitutional violations in a letter on Sept. 28. “It is important that PISD staff members understand that, as government officers and state actors, their personal rights of free exercise and free speech are not unlimited,” said Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel. He pointed out that even See You At The Pole’s official website acknowledges that it is illegal for adults to lead the gatherings.
In addition, damning admissions on Facebook that Wright was founding a First Priority Club for students meant any claim that the club was student-led as required by law was “disingenuous,” said Seidel. Also, “Public schools may not display religious messages or iconography,” the letter stated.
On Oct. 14, an attorney for the school district informed FFRF that all complaints had been resolved. Principal Wright will not speak at future See You At The Pole events or form the First Priority Club, and school officials will no longer display religious materials in the school. (See student activist on page 8.)
FFRF secularizes school’s pep rallies
On Aug. 26, 2015, Little Elm High School in Texas began a pep rally with a prayer from the pastor of a local church, but it won’t happen again after FFRF got involved.
An Aug. 27 letter from Staff Attorney Sam Grover reminded the Little Elm Independent School District that it is unconstitutional for a school to invite a preacher, or anyone else, to lead a prayer at a school event.
Superintendent Lowell Strike told Grover on Oct. 16 that he had discussed the matter with the planners of the pep rally and “ha[d] been assured this will not be repeated in the future.”
Religious sign removed from class
After receiving a letter from FFRF, a teacher at Indian Springs Elementary in Blountville, Tenn., has removed a sign from her classroom that read, “I can do all things through God who strengthens me.”
The Sullivan County Schools District “violates the Constitution when it allows its schools or public school employees to display religious symbols or messages,” said Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert on Oct. 6. “This display alienates those nonreligious students, families, teachers, and members of the public whose religious beliefs are inconsistent with the message being promoted by the school.”
Director Evelyn Rafalowski informed FFRF by email on Oct. 19 that the bible verse had been removed.
Students spared more bible distributions
The Bienville Parish Schools in Arcadia, La., will ensure that schools do not allow Gideons to distribute bibles to students after FFRF alerted the district to the constitutional violation. Members of the evangelical Gideons group passed out bibles to Crawford Elementary School students on Sept. 22, physically placing a bible on each student’s desk.
“When a school distributes religious literature to its students, or permits evangelists to distribute religious literature to its students, it entangles itself with that religious message,” wrote Staff Attorney Sam Grover in a letter to Superintendent William Britt.
Britt assured FFRF on Oct. 19 that he would “meet with school principals/administrators to insure compliance with court decisions regarding the distribution of Bibles in public schools.”
Gideons no longer allowed in district
The McConnellsburg, Pa., school district has banned the Gideons from repeating the unconstitutional distributions of bibles in the future after FFRF alerted the Central Fulton School District of the illegal act.
Staff Attorney Elizabeth Cavell wrote a letter on Oct. 15 objecting to Gideons roaming the halls at McConnellsburg Elementary with a cart of bibles and Principal Alicia Mellott’s statement to students that anyone interested could take a bible.
Superintendent Dixie M. Paruch wrote to Cavell on Oct. 21 saying that the Gideons would not be distributing bibles in the school district in the future.
School prayer stopped in Alabama school again
A third Prattville Primary School teacher has been stopped from praying with students after FFRF Staff Attorney Sam Grover ensured that two praying teachers at the school were educated on the Constitution in February. FFRF’s local complainant reported in September that a third teacher was also praying with students before lunch.
“Needless to say, we are concerned about how quickly Prattville Primary has had this same issue resurface,” Grover wrote to the Autauga County School District’s attorney. “Given the district’s earlier representation that Prattville Primary administrators had addressed this issue, we would expect all school employees to be aware of their obligation to remain neutral on matters of religion.”
Attorney James R. Seale wrote back to FFRF on Oct. 26. The principal “addressed your concerns with the staff at Prattville Primary School,” wrote Seale. “I trust that your concerns will have been resolved and I do not anticipate you will receive any additional complaints.”
No more mealtime prayer at senior center
Seniors at the city of Chandler Senior Center in Chandler, Ariz., will no longer be subjected to prayers at meals after FFRF got involved. A senior center employee had led the prayers in the past, and later started selecting a member of the audience to do so.
“Federal regulations prohibit senior centers receiving federal funding to engage in religious activities at government-sponsored functions such as senior meals,” wrote Legal Fellow Ryan Jayne. “The center cannot engage ‘in inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization.’ “
FFRF’s complainant reported on Oct. 29 that the center had replaced the prayer with a moment of silence.
Illinois school board to end meeting prayers
The Windsor Board of Education in Illinois will no longer pray at its meetings after getting a complaint from FFRF. Local clergy typically led the Christian prayers.
“It is beyond the scope of a public school board to schedule or conduct prayer as part of its meetings,” wrote Legal Fellow Ryan Jayne in a Nov. 2 letter. “Federal courts have struck down school board practices that include this religious ritual.”
Superintendent Gavin Sronce told FFRF on Nov. 6 that the school board would not include prayer at its next meeting, and said that although the board had not yet discussed the topic at a meeting, he anticipates the board would permanently cease the practice.
Religious posts from school come down
Facebook posts and pictures promoting a See You At The Pole event at Kings Manor Elementary School in New Caney, Texas, have been removed after FFRF complained in a letter.
One post invited readers to join “us” for See You at the Pole, describing it as a time to “pray with our children.” A photo of the event showed adults holding students’ hands in a group prayer.
“Any religious events in any of the district’s schools must be entirely student-initiated and student-run,” Staff Attorney Sam Grover wrote in a letter to the New Caney Independent School District. “When a school district promotes religious events to its students, it has unconstitutionally entangled itself with a religious message.”
An attorney for the school district responded on Nov. 9, informing FFRF that the posts had been removed.
Kansas school district ends bible distribution
Geary County Schools in Kansas will no longer allow Gideons to distribute bibles following an FFRF complaint. FFRF first dealt with this issue in 2012, but it resurfaced this year.
FFRF Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott sent a request for records on distribution policies on Nov. 6. Prompted by the records request, parent action, and an additional complaint from the American Humanist Association, the school district’s attorney sent written assurance on Nov. 13 that the district would “no longer facilitate the Gideons in distributing bibles in our school district.”
Alabama district updates prayer policy
Dallas County Schools in Selma, Ala., took action to end prayers over the loudspeaker before football games after hearing from FFRF.
FFRF sent the district a letter on Sept. 30. “The Supreme Court has specifically struck down invocations given over the loudspeaker at public school athletic events, even when student-led,” wrote Staff Attorney Sam Grover, citing the 2000 case, Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe. “Like the prayer practices in Santa Fe, the prayers at Dallas County High School football games are also inappropriate and unconstitutional.”
Christmas Y. Green-Williams, Dallas County Schools attorney, wrote a response on Nov. 17, noting that the school had updated its policies to reflect the state of the law. “We appreciate any individual or organization that makes us aware of an alleged violation” of the law, Green-Williams said.
Reciting prayers halted at school
Pursuant to a Freedom From Religion Foundation complaint, Decatur City Schools in Alabama will ensure that students are not required to recite prayers in the future.
During a grandparents’ day event on Sept. 11 at Walter Jackson Elementary, a kindergarten teacher led students in the prayer, “Thank You for the World So Sweet,” in front of their assembled guests. The students had been taught the prayer with hand movements to accompany each line.
Staff Attorney Sam Grover wrote Superintendent Ed Nichols on Oct. 29, pointing out that not only have the courts struck down prayers in school, but one court even specifically struck down “Thank You for the World So Sweet” even after the school removed the words “God” and “Amen” from the prayer.
William E. Shinn, Jr., attorney for the school district, admitted that FFRF’s account of the prayer was “substantially correct.” Shinn said the district would “start by providing principals additional education on constitutional restrictions relating to school prayer,” and that the principals would be directed to make a similar presentation to staff members.
A long legal challenge by FFRF Life Member Carole Beaton paid off in November as the City Council in Eureka, Calif., voted unanimously to eliminate prayers to start its meetings as of Jan. 1. Attorney Peter Martin filed a lawsuit in January 2013 on Beaton’s behalf to get the council to stop praying and to stop Mayor Frank Jager from using his position and city resources to promote his annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast.
City officials wouldn’t say if the change was due to the suit. “I don’t think the city wants to give us the satisfaction of having been right on this one,” Martin told the Eureka Times-Standard on Nov. 20.
The city agreed to a September 2014 settlement that barred use of its resources, city seal and the title of mayor to promote or support prayer breakfasts and paid the plaintiff $16,500 for attorney’s fees.
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The Greece (N.Y.) Central School District Board voted 5-4 against a proposal Nov. 10 to consolidate polling sites from 11 elementary schools to two churches and a fire station. The proposed church sites were at Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Parish and Hope Lutheran Church.
Linda Stephens, FFRF Life Member and co-plaintiff in Town of Greece v. Galloway, alerted FFRF to the proposal Nov. 10 and spoke against it at the public hearing that night. Four residents spoke against the plan. No one spoke in favor.
A school district release said: “Some were concerned consolidation could make it more difficult for voters to get to the polls; others feared voting at non-school sites could influence the vote.”
Stephens commented to FFRF legal staff after the meeting: “Maybe speaking out at public hearings does work sometimes?”
FFRF took no action due to late notice about the proposal and because the board voted it down but will continue to monitor the situation.
