After a concerned community member reported that a principal in an Alabama public school district organized a prayer event, FFRF took action.
FFRF learned that a principal at Mill Creek Elementary School in Huntsville, Ala., invited the public to pray for the school district community to start off the school year. The principal had also posted an invitation on Facebook for people to join her at the school on Aug. 6 to pray. In a letter sent to the school district on Sept. 22, FFRF Legal Fellow Christopher Line wrote that the principal’s invitation to community members and students to join her for an event held at the school creates the appearance of school-sponsored prayer — which is unconstitutional.
FFRF requested that the district ensure that the principal no longer host prayer events at the elementary school. On Sept. 27, the school district superintendent responded, informing FFRF that the violation had been discussed with the principal and that she was reminded of her duty to keep religion out of her role as principal.
