A timely complaint by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, acting on a tip from a resident, halted a scheduled evangelical talk during the lunch hour at Stoughton High School in Stoughton, Wis., earlier this week.
An ad ran in the local newspaper advertising that Luke Swan, a local star athlete, had been invited by our Fellowship of Christian Athletes” to talk about his recent NFL draft and “also his faith journey” in the gym on Wed., May 15 from 11:55-12:25 p.m.
The Foundation wrote principal Jerry Movrich about its concerns on May 9. On May 12, Movrich phoned the office to say that the event “wasn’t going to happen” at the public high school, and that “procedures weren’t followed.”
Movrich said his first knowledge of the scheduled event came from spotting the advertisement. He would not divulge whom he thought placed the ad, but said this individual placed the ad and planned the event without going through proper school channels.
Swan’s talk was moved across the street from the high school and took place in a local Methodist church.
The Foundation is awaiting promised written response to its queries about whether there is a registered student club of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and about whether student clubs are permitted to meet during the lunch hour or bring in outside speakers in the gym during the school day.
