It was reported to FFRF that a principal at Little Axe Middle School in Norman, Okla., gave a Christian invocation at a staff dinner this past August asking Jesus “to inspire” the new teachers. FFRF was also informed that the school’s baseball coach had given out team luggage name tags with bible verses on them. FFRF wrote to Superintendent Jay Thomas, reminding the district that, as a government entity, it has a constitutional obligation to remain neutral toward religion. Both the Christian invocation and the coach’s promotion of a religious message on district athletic equipment had endorsed religion over nonreligion.
FFRF received a letter from the superintendent on Nov. 14 indicating that instructions had been given to all athletes to remove the bible verse tags and that all administration had been instructed to not allow prayer in any future district sponsored events.
