Religious ads dropped from car hangers (August 8, 2018)

FFRF succeeded in removing religious promotion from the back of mandatory car tags at an elementary school in Tennessee.

Dupont Elementary School in Chattanooga had partnered with Rock Bridge Community Church by displaying an advertisement on the back of the car hangers parents are required to hang from their rearview mirror to be allowed to pick up their children from school. The advertisement displayed the name of the church and a Latin cross, invited parents to book a ā€œVIP visit,ā€ and lists the worship times for the church.

FFRF Patrick Oā€™Reiley Legal Fellow Chris Line wrote that the presence of the advertisement ā€œcommunicates a message of school endorsement of religion and is marked by excessive entanglement between the school district and church.ā€

The schoolā€™s legal representation assured FFRF that it was unaware the tag had a religious message on the back. The school has since distributed new tags free from religious promotion.

Freedom From Religion Foundation