The Freedom From Religion Foundation has successfully fought for the First Amendment rights of cheerleaders in the Amarillo Independent School District in Texas.
A concerned parent informed the national state/church watchdog that the Tascosa High School cheerleading coach was posting bible quotes in messages to cheerleaders. FFRF learned that the coach was encouraging prayer circles with the cheerleaders as well. One message included a citation to Romans 15:5-6: “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other than Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“It is unlawful for public school athletic coaches to lead their teams in biblical instruction, lessons or prayer,” FFRF Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow Hirsh M. Joshi wrote to the district.
Public school employees may not direct students to partake in religious activities or participate in students’ religious activities, FFRF underscored. Here, in her capacity as a district employee, the coach was directing religious scripture at her students. Religious coercion occurring within school districts is particularly troubling for parents and students who are not Christian or the nonreligious, who comprise nearly half of Generation Z (those born after 1996).
FFRF urged the district to respect the rights of student athletes within the district by refraining from discussing religion with students. FFRF’s information resonated with those responsible for safeguarding student rights.
A legal representative for the district confirmed that corrective action had been taken.
“District and campus administration reviewed your letter and relevant case law decisions with the staff member,” Andrea Slater Gulley of Walsh Gallegos writes in a recent letter to FFRF. “The District is confident the staff member now has a better understanding of applicable law, and has discontinued the use of Bible verses in communications with students.”
FFRF is glad to see reason triumph over dogma.
“A secular athletics program is something all of us should cheer for. But student sports are about developing sportsmanship and athletic prowess, not ‘glorifying God,’”FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. “Students have the First Amendment right to be free from religious proselytization, and we’ll always root for the Constitution to come out on top.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with about 40,000 members and several chapters across the country, including more than 1,700 members and a chapter in Texas. Our purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
