After a prayer was delivered in Weiser School District #431 in Idaho at a Veteran’s Day assembly, FFRF worked to keep the district from infringing on district members’ First Amendment rights.
A parent reported that on Nov. 9, 2023, the district held an all-school Veterans Day program that included religious messaging and prayer. The complainant reported that the event’s speaker led students in prayer and repeatedly quoted the bible and that their children were deeply uncomfortable with the school-sponsored prayer and religious promotion.
FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line wrote to Superintendent Kenneth Dewlen, who responded to FFRF, noting that an investigation had taken place, and said that even though the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars sponsored the event, action was still needed to be taken to prevent prayer in the future. “The Superintendent or their designee will ensure that they preview the Veterans Day Program agenda before the event,” Dewlen wrote.
