Jesus saves (you from craving meth)
Campbell County Comprehensive High School in Jacksboro, Tenn., will vet future assemblies to ensure no inappropriate religious programming after receiving an FFRF letter of complaint about a March assembly in the gym. According to a student, the school hosted a substance abuse assembly during school hours that included opening and closing student-led prayers and featured religious leaders.
Speakers included Sheriff Robbie Goins, Caleb Arnold of the Hill College Ministry, representatives of the Stanfield Church of God and the Christian alternative rock band the Birdsongs. The band describes itself online as “passionate about spreading the gospel and pointing people to Christ.”
The complainant reported that “references to God and Christianity” and “quotes from the bible” were prevalent and that a speaker told students that “Jesus Christ delivered [them] from methamphetamine.”
The complainant reported that “some people I know didn’t want to go, given their beliefs, and were forced to attend the assembly.”
Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert sent a March 28 letter to the director of schools: “Though teaching students about the perils of drug abuse is a commendable goal, allowing church representatives and an evangelical Christian band access to your student body gives the appearance that CCPS endorses those speakers’ religious messages.”
On July 9, after receiving two FFRF follow-ups, the district responded: “It was the assumption of the principal at the school that this would be a program in which the primary emphasis would be on curbing potential drug use. As a result of your letter we have spoken with the principal and have asked that he do a better job scrutinizing the content of future assemblies.”
School backs off baccalaureate
Freeman High School in Freeman S.D., will no longer organize or sponsor an annual baccalaureate ceremony for graduating seniors. FFRF received a complaint that on May 14 a religious ceremony took place at which attendance was mandatory for all seniors and members of the band and chorus. Students were reportedly told that they would receive an “F” for not attending. Teachers, staff and the principal all have attended the event at the school.
FFRF was informed that between songs, a pastor preached and quoted bible verses. The pastor also led the crowd in prayer. The school promoted the event on the school calendar and website and announced it repeatedly over the intercom.
Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott sent a complaint letter May 30 to Superintendent Don Hotchkiss. Shortly thereafter, the school responded that it would stop the practice. The complaint resulted in a flurry of Freeman Courier news articles in the town of about 1,300.
Hotchkiss said it was never his intention to eliminate the baccalaureate. “I do think we have to make some changes to how we do baccalaureate; I think we’re fortunate to have been able to do this for as long as we have.”
That comment sounded to FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor like the superintendent knew that the practice violated the law. “If so, that’s really sad,” Gaylor said. “It’s like he thought, ‘I know it’s illegal but maybe nobody is watching.’ That’s why we need state/church watchdogs like FFRF.”
Elliott sent a follow-up letter July 23 explaining that the district had to completely disassociate itself from the event. Hotchkiss then announced that the Ministerial Association would host future baccalaureates ”with no help, input, collaboration or participation from employees at the Freeman Public Schools.”
Sending FFRF a copy of the board motion to discontinue school affiliation, Hotchkiss snidely added, “I trust this information will not only be useful for you but will also allow you to have a more complete and restful nightly sleep cycle.”
The Courier editorialized in FFRF’s favor July 24, asking readers to “Imagine if you, as a Christian, moved into a community that was primarily Muslim and the public school chose to hold a religious service as part of the graduation. Likely you’d have reservations about being there and offering prayers and following the religious tenets and traditions of Islam.”
Teacher-led religious club disbanded
Hawkins Middle School in Hawkins, Texas, will no longer permit a teacher to organize and promote a “Feed and Seed” club. A concerned parent contacted FFRF, reporting that a teacher ran the club during lunch period. The teacher read from the bible and invited religious leaders to speak to students. Parents weren’t informed that their children were participating. The teacher also read religious materials on Good Friday during instructional time.
Staff Attorney Sam Grover sent a letter to the district June 4. On Aug. 5, the superintendent replied that regulations and practices regarding extracurricular and co-curricular clubs were reviewed as well as classroom instructional material guidelines: “We are working to make certain that the Hawkins ISD complies with all applicable laws, including the First Amendment’s prohibition concerning the endorsement of religion.”
The school noted that if the club returns as a strictly student-led group, the teacher involved in the abuses will not be approved as faculty supervisor.
Gideon bibles out in Kansas school
An elementary school in Gypsum, Kansas, will no longer allow the Gideons to proselytize and hand out bibles to students. FFRF was informed that on May 16, a fifth-grade teacher at USD 306 allowed representatives from Gideons International to speak and distribute bibles in his classroom.
Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent a letter to the district July 8: “Parents carefully instruct children not to accept gifts from strangers. The Gideons’ practice is a usurpation of parental authority. It is the duty of public school administrators to protect not only the personal conscience of students but to ensure they are safe from predatory adults while at school.”
On July 31, the district responded, “[The] superintendent . . . did not have any knowledge that this activity was going on. If he would have known it was occurring, he would have stopped it. This confirms that USD 306 will not permit this to happen anymore.”
FFRF successfully complained about another teacher in the district who actively led, participated and organized a See You at the Pole prayer gathering. Fliers announcing the gatherings included the teacher’s name.
The letter said that a new policy prohibiting teachers sponsoring overtly religious events will be enforced by the district.
Young students recruited for Team Jesus
Michael T. Simmons Elementary School in Tumwater, Wash., will no longer allow religious materials to be handed out.
Children were pulled out of class to attend a mandatory assembly led by former NFL player Shawn Harper, who at the conclusion handed out cards to students with his picture on the front and an image of Jesus on the back. The card said:
“I grew up in a religious home, but I did not know God. I suffered a potential career ending injury which put me out of the NFL for one year. It was during that year, when I thought I had lost everything, that I discovered the difference between religion and a relationship with Jesus. He found me, and I have been playing on His Team ever since. I was able to come back and finish my career in the NFL!”
Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent a letter June 5 explaining why the school district needed to remedy the violation.
The district responded promptly: “The card about which you have stated concern, which looked like a traditional sports card, was made available to students by the speaker as the students were leaving the assembly hall. Not all students received a card, but many did. The card was not approved in advance by the principal. The principal has shared with me that in the future she will make sure to pre-approve any materials that are to be handed out to students in such a context.”
The district defended the assembly itself as addressing bullying and not containing religious content, although Harper’s website says he’s a “Christian Motivational Speaker” at the top of the home page.
The incident was scheduled for discussion at an August meeting of administrators, the response said.
Mandatory meetings in churches stopped
Dawson County School District in Gainesville, Ga., will no longer hold mandatory meetings for teachers in churches.
A complainant reported to FFRF that the district held a mandatory staff meeting on Aug. 4 at the First Baptist Church of Dawsonville. The meeting was opened by a minister who gave a sermon inviting people to join his church and “come to Jesus.” He then urged the teachers to stand while he prayed to “bless” the teachers, school year, students, etc. Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent complaint letter Aug. 15, noting that letting staff skip the church meeting wouldn’t cure the constitutional violation. Employees should not be forced to “out” themselves as nonreligious or non-Christian to their employers, he said.
The district responded Sept. 3: “While a church leader was invited to give a brief welcome to the facility, the length and nature of the comments was unexpected and certainly not invited. Under all the circumstances there is no expectation of such a gathering at the church anytime in the future.”
Senior center halts staff-led prayer
Employees at a senior center in Eagle Nest, N.M., will not lead prayers before federally funded meals. FFRF was informed that staff recited sectarian prayers before meals at the center and that participants were asked to join hands.
Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent an Aug. 21 complaint letter. The center responded Sept. 3, saying that “to the extent that the prayers are conducted by Village employees or have an appearance of being Village sponsored, the Village will take action necessary to ensure that this does not continue to occur.”
School reins in creationist teacher
Eureka Union School District in Granite Bay, Calif., will no longer permit a teacher to “teach the controversy” about evolution during science class.
According to a complainant, a teacher at Ridgeview Elementary School routinely taught creationism and intelligent design during science instruction. The teacher claimed that it’s legally required to “present both sides of the issue.”
The strategy apparently consisted of giving the students a bag of popcorn and a sheet of paper with a complicated design, telling them to repeatedly let popcorn fall on the paper. If the popcorn did not form the complicated design, then, the teacher told them, it shows that evolution must be unreasonable.
Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent a letter of complaint March 4, summarizing court rulings: “Evolution is not a ‘theory’ in the layperson’s sense of the word. Evolution is a ‘scientific theory.’ This difference is crucial. A misunderstanding of these terms often leads to a misunderstanding of evolution, the vast weight of evidence supporting evolution, and of its overwhelming acceptance in the scientific community.”
The district responded March 13, thanking and assuring FFRF that the complaint was immediately addressed and appropriate action taken.
Bibles verses removed at post office
A post office in Richmond, Calif., removed bible verses posted at employee time clocks. A concerned employee contacted FFRF that a sign quoting 1 Peter 4:15 (“But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a ‘busybody’ in other people’s matters”) was posted on internal bulletin boards.
Staff Attorney Elizabeth Cavell sent a letter to the branch, pointing out that the display directly violates regulations. The Postal Service said Aug. 19 that the verses were removed: “Employees at the facility will be reinstructed through a Stand-Up Talk regarding the policies related to posting items near time clocks and on internal bulletin boards.”
Mormon video barred from assemblies
Kuna School District in Kuna, Idaho, addressed the constitutional concerns brought on by a religious video at an assembly. A complainant informed FFRF that Kuna Middle School held an anti-bullying assembly in May. A video, “Bullying — Stop It,” produced by the media channel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was shown to students. On stopping bullying, the video claims, “This mighty change of heart is exactly what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to bring about.” It also claims that, “allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us, because God loves us so much, we too must love and forgive; remember in the end it is the merciful who obtain mercy.”
The video was paused at the end to display the Mormon Church’s logo.
Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent a letter June 4: “[Y]our community possesses many secular experts in this field, including counselors, psychologists, and sociologists, who have experience, training, certification and/or degrees and would be delighted, usually at no cost to the district, to discuss bullying before your student bodies, and whose presence would not raise constitutional red flags.”
On July 7, Superintendent Wendy Johnson replied: “The student who presented the assembly and video did disclose to building administration that there was religious content at the end of the anti-bullying video. The building administration requested that the video be stopped before the religious content was shown. Unfortunately the video was not stopped in the appropriate time.”
Johnson added that building administrators will be directed to use only district-approved materials.
In Ohio, Jesus has left the building
Religious images will no longer adorn the locker room of North Canton Memorial Stadium Complex in Canton, Ohio. A concerned student contacted FFRF to report that a portrait of Jesus was displayed near the door leading to the stadium.
On July 3, Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert sent a warning letter to the Stark County Educational Services Council, requesting an immediate investigation of the illegal religious display at Hoover High School.
Markert stated: “As you may be aware, a similar situation occurred at Jackson Middle School in Jackson, Ohio. A lawsuit brought by FFRF together with the ACLU of Ohio on behalf of a Jackson Middle School student resulted in a settlement for the permanent removal of the portrait of Jesus and a hefty fine, including attorney’s fees against Jackson City School District.”
A council representative responded Aug. 21 that the portrait had been removed.
Miami Beach removes Jewish eruv
A public park in Miami Beach, Fla., will no longer permit religious eruvin to be erected over public property after a complaint was filed by FFRF.
An eruv is “an urban area enclosed by a wire boundary that symbolically extends the private domain of Jewish households into public areas, permitting activities within it that are normally forbidden in public on the Sabbath.” An eruv, constructed of 15-foot plastic poles connected by string, was installed by two members of the Orthodox Jewish community in Pine Tree Park without a permit.
Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent a complaint letter to the city of Miami Beach: “Allowing Orthodox Jews to permanently demarcate large areas of public property as a private Jewish household that is ‘property’ of the Orthodox Jewish community forces those of other faiths and no faith to live within an Orthodox Jewish religious enclosure, including members of other Jewish denominations who are offended by the Orthodox Jewish elevation of legalistic constructs over what they believe to be the true spiritual values of Judaism.”
On July 10, FFRF received a response from the city insisting that an “eruv does not violate the Establishment Clause,and can be legally permitted. It has the secular purpose of allowing Orthodox Jews to participate in matters of daily living outside of their homes on Saturday, their Sabbath.”
Seidel replied July 14: “There is nothing secular about helping a religious sect comply with religious law. What do you think the reaction would be if Miami Beach endorsed and even helped devout Muslims rope off an area in which to adhere to Sharia law?”
FFRF’s complainant confirmed on July 24 that most of the eruvin had been removed from the park. She called it “a great victory.”
Chorus won’t sing in S.C. churches
Broome High School students in Glendale, S.C., will no longer perform in churches. A concerned citizen informed FFRF that on May 11 the school chorus sang at the First Baptist Church of Cowpens during a Sunday morning worship service.
Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott sent a letter May 19 to Spartanburg School District 3, explaining why holding school-sponsored activities in churches, especially during services, is a bad idea constitutionally, even if students are allowed to opt out of participating.
On Aug. 11, an attorney representing the district responded that students should not be asked to participate in any activity that takes place during a religious service, where that activity is sponsored by the school.
The counsel added that she had met with all district administrators to give a presentation including “instruction regarding the Establishment Clause and how it applies to public school students and religion.”
Graduations won’t have official prayer
Alexander High School in Alexander N.Y., will no longer conduct prayer at graduation. Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert sent a letter June 24, 2013, about an invocation listed on a recent graduation’s program.
After several follow-up letters, the district sent an email Jan. 31: “We do not believe it was illegal. It was student initiated and student led.”
Markert responded April 8, citing the Supreme Court’s Santa Fe v. Doe ruling on precisely such violations.
On May 28, the district responded: “The graduation planning committee for the class of 2014 has decided not to included an invocation in their graduation program.”
In August, Markert received more confirmation that the School Board “made the decision not to included an invocation in the ceremony.”
Teacher-led prayer stopped at banquets
After a complaint by FFRF, Sandy Run K-8 School staff in Swansea S.C., will no longer lead prayer at academic banquets. FFRF learned that a school staff member led students and staff in a Christian prayer at a June 2 banquet.
Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott sent a letter to Calhoun County Public Schools on July 22. On Aug. 12, Superintendent Steve Wilson responded: “I have reminded staff on numerous occasions of the law and to not engage in any activity that could be considered out of bounds as it pertains to Freedom of Religion. After receiving your letter, I immediately placed the subject on the very next District Principals’ Meeting agenda . . . and directed any and all to refrain from such practices.”
Superior Court Judge Robert Hobgood ruled Aug. 21 in Raleigh, N.C., that a 2013 law to use public money for tuition at private and religious schools violates the state constitution.
Under the Opportunities Scholarship program, which the ruling halted, low-income families would get up to $4,200 annually. The law made $10 million available to a maximum of 2,400 students. As of Aug. 21, 1,879 scholarships had been accepted.
“This upholds North Carolina’s long-standing commitment to public education. Public education creates productive citizens, a strong economy and a great democracy,” Yevonne Brannon of Public Schools First told the Raleigh News & Observer.
“Appropriating taxpayer funds to unaccountable schools does not accomplish a public purpose,” Hobgood said in his ruling. “The General Assembly fails the children of North Carolina when they are sent with public, taxpayer money to private schools that have no legal obligation to teach them anything.”
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The New Hampshire Supreme Court upheld a law Aug. 28 that created a business education tax credit to fund scholarships to private schools. The unanimous decision vacated a lower court ruling that said giving scholarships to parochial school students was unconstitutional.
The bill was passed in 2012 by the Republican majority, which overrode then-Democratic Gov. John Lynch’s veto. Current Gov. Maggie Hassan, also a Democrat, told The Associated Press: “The voucher tax credit is bad public policy for public education in New Hampshire and our taxpayers, diverting millions of dollars in taxpayer money with no accountability or oversight to religious and private schools.”
The justices said the plaintiffs lacked standing and didn’t rule on the merits of the case. They also declared unconstitutional a 2012 law letting individuals sue even if they couldn’t show their rights were violated.
Businesses can donate to an independent scholarship organization in return for a credit on their taxes amounting to 85% of the donation. Republican Rep. William O’Brien said parents should be able to choose religious or secular education. “It will be up to them and not up to vested education industry interests trying to corral all students into failed government schools.”
Chancellor Bernie Patterson of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point told the approximately 1,425 graduates in the chancellor’s “charge” near the end of their May 17 ceremonies that when confronting an ethical dilemma at some point in their lives, they’ll have to lean on their foundation — “That is, your education and your faith in God. Now go and be servant-leaders. Godspeed.”
A graduate’s family member brought the statement, which Patterson has made at commencements in years past, to FFRF’s attention. In a May 22 letter, Staff Attorney Sam Grover told Patterson such remarks are inappropriate. “Graduation should be an inclusive, unifying event designed to celebrate the accomplishments and prospects of the graduates. Including religious references does exactly the opposite, isolating non-Christian and nonreligious students, cheapening their participation by sending the message that they are outsiders at their own graduation and in their own community.”
Grover added, “The university should be particularly sensitive to respecting the rights and conscience of the nonreligious, given that universities serve the least religious population in the country. One in three college-aged Americans (ages 18-29) are not religious.”
Patterson responded with a letter of thanks July 18. “I understand your concerns and will take them under consideration.”
After initially agreeing with FFRF that stocking Christian bibles in every U.S. Navy-operated hotel was wrong, the Navy backed off and returned the bibles during a review process.
FFRF sent a complaint letter March 12 to the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM). On June 19, NEXCOM issued a directive stating that the “Navy Lodge General Manager should advise the Installation Commanding Officer of our intention to work through the chaplain’s office to determine what installation policy is and the method to remove religious material currently in guest rooms.” The directive said the action “is to be completed by 1 September 2014.”
When the decision was made public, the ensuing outcry put the ban on hold. Navy spokesman Ryan Perry said in a written statement that NEXCOM made the decision “without consultation of senior Navy leadership,” adding, “That decision and our religious accommodation policies with regard to the placement of religious materials are under review.”
Perry said that during the review the bibles would be returned.
A May 9 FFRF complaint to Berkley County Schools about religious activity at New Beginnings Child Care Center in Inwood, W.Va., resulted in clarification by State Superintendent of Schools Charles Heinlein that pre-K providers must steer clear of religion. The center provides state-funded pre-K four days a week, then offers a fifth day which includes religious instruction.
Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott said that’s confusing for children too young to distinguish public from religious education. Heinlein’s Aug. 5 reply largely concurred with FFRF’s letter but didn’t agree with the objection to religious images, including a cross on the New Beginnings sign.
Heinlein wrote that “no State funds may be used to purchase or maintain them and they may not be included or alluded to during conversation or instruction during the WV Pre-K program.” He said religious images are otherwise permissible.
FFRF contends he’s wrong and that all pre-K classes must be held in a secular environment. “Facilities used to teach public school students have to be secular. This is a bedrock constitutional principle that is not erased merely because classes are held in a nontraditional setting,” said Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor.
FFRF’s major victory to compel the Internal Revenue Service to resume monitoring tax-exempt churches that engage in illegal electioneering was finalized July 29.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman in Milwaukee issued an order approving the joint motion for dismissal between FFRF and the IRS. FFRF agreed to voluntarily dismiss its closely watched federal lawsuit after being given evidence that the IRS has authorized procedures and “signature authority” to resume initiating church tax investigations and examinations.
Since agreeing to settle July 17, FFRF has encountered a lot of misconceptions about the suit, the settlement and the law, which went into effect in 1954. FFRF is not “targeting” churches.
No tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit, church or otherwise, may lawfully engage in partisan political action. Among those who bought the claims of various theocratic media was Oklahoma Attorney General E. Scott Pruitt, who stated in early August:
“At the intersection of those two fundamental rights [free speech and free exercise] lies the right of religious organizations to encourage their members to engage in the political process in a manner consistent with the core tenets of their religions. The Freedom From Religion Foundation is unabashed in its desire to destroy that right, and the fact that this organization has now entered into an agreement with the IRS — an agreement that they call ‘a victory’ for their cause — is alarming.”
FFRF wrote Pruitt on Aug. 7 asking him to stop the smears, noting that FFRF “works not to ‘destroy’ the First Amendment but to uphold the law and the Constitution.”
“FFRF agreed to voluntary dismissal of our case because recent changes by the IRS have remedied our concerns,” noted Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor in her letter to Pruitt. “FFRF is satisfied that the IRS does not at this time have a policy specific to churches of nonenforcement of its anti-electioneering provisions. As you are undoubtedly aware, there is an appropriate blanket ban against any and all 501(c)(3) nonprofits from engaging in political action, specifically such as endorsing political candidates.”
To clarify the issues, FFRF put together an online FAQ.
FFRF will be monitoring “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” Oct. 5, as proclaimed by the theocratic Alliance Defending Freedom. ADF urges pastors to deliberately break the law by endorsing candidates from the pulpit.
Mary’s Gourmet Diner agreed with FFRF that all of its customers should be treated equally instead of some being rewarded for praying in the restaurant in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Staff Attorney Elizabeth Cavell wrote an Aug. 4 letter of complaint after FFRF learned that the diner had long been offering a 15% discount for “praying in public.”
Co-owner Mary Haglund emailed Cavell Aug. 6: “I am notifying you & the FFRF that as of today we are no longer offering the 15% discount for Praying in Public.”
A news story in the Greensboro News & Record included a photo of a sign in the restaurant window: “We at Mary’s value the support of all our fellow Americans. While you may exercise your right of religious freedom at this restaurant by praying over your meal to any entity or non-entity, we must protect your freedom from religion in a public place. We are no longer issuing the 15% praying in public discount. It is illegal and we are being threatened by lawsuit. We apologize to our community for any offense this discount has incurred.”
Cavell’s letter noted that according to the federal Civil Rights Act, as a place of public accommodation, “Mary’s Gourmet Diner may not lawfully offer a discount only to customers who pray,”
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor added, “We have found that most restaurant owners, who, after all, are in business to please all customers, are gracious and drop illegal discounts that selectively reward customer piety.”
FFRF is currently involved in a discount-related lawsuit in Rhode Island and took successful action before a human rights agency in Milwaukee in another case.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has chimed in to publicly oppose FFRF’s objection to the state’s acceptance of a wooden sculpture with a cross as a memorial to vets in a state park.
Pence issued a statement in support of the sculpture being placed at Whitewater Memorial State Park in early September: “So long as I am governor, I will defend the right of Hoosiers to display this sculpture in Whitewater Memorial State Park as a lasting tribute to the service and sacrifice of all who have worn the uniform of the United States.” He added, “The freedom of religion does not require freedom from religion.”
FFRF first wrote to the Department of Natural Resources on Aug. 20 to urge rejection of the proposed statue, an 8-foot-tall, chainsaw-carved veterans memorial that depicts a bald eagle and includes a prominent white cross.
DNR Director Cameron Clark wrote to the Union County Development Corp., which arranged for the statue, on Sept. 2, stating that he was “pleased to accept [their] gift on behalf of the citizens of Indiana and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.” Clark ordered the sculpture to be placed next to the park’s administrative office, in part to provide “proper visibility.” According to a story in the Richmond Palladium-Item, the park was created in 1949 to be a memorial to veterans in surrounding counties.
FFRF noted in its letter that the memorial did not in fact honor all veterans. “[T]he Christian-only memorial will send a message that the government only cares about the deaths of Christian soldiers, not Jewish, other non-Christian and nonreligious soldiers,” Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote.
“The religious significance of the Latin cross is unambiguous and indisputable,” Markert wrote, adding that “an overwhelming majority of federal courts agree that the Latin cross universally represents the Christian religion, and only the Christian religion.”
She cited a string of court decisions that bolster FFRF’s position, including a ruling that the cross “is not a generic symbol of death.”
Markert continued, “Although the cross serves as a tombstone, a religious symbol is not necessary to mark a grave, and . . . the use of a religious symbol where one is not necessary evidences a religious purpose.”
“The freedom of religion does require freedom from religion,” said FFRF Co-President Dan Barker, “because the freedom of religion means nothing without the freedom to dissent. And Governor Pence should be free from religion when acting in his role as a public servant.”
Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor added, “FFRF has no objection to veterans memorials, but they cannot be used as a subterfuge to put Latin crosses on government land. Whitewater Memorial State Park should not host a monument that appears to say ‘We only care about your service if you’re a Christian.’ There are many atheists in foxholes, and 24 percent of FFRF membership is made up of veterans or active military.”
About 25% of all military personnel identify as atheist or agnostic or hold no religious preference.
FFRF is considering legal action.
An FFRF complaint over religious plaques at two North Texas schools has many Texans in a theocratic tizzy. Staff Attorney Sam Grover wrote the Midlothian Independent School District in June after receiving a complaint about the plaques.
A plaque at Mountain Peak Elementary says: “Dedicated in the Year of our Lord 1997 to the education of God’s children and to their faithful teachers in the name of the Holy Christian Church. Soli Deo Gloria [Glory to God alone].”
A similar plaque is at Longbranch Elementary. The plaques were part of the buildings’ dedications 17 years ago.
In response, school district attorney John Hardy promised FFRF that the plaque would be removed from Mountain Peak Elementary. Both plaques were then covered with duct tape. But in late August, a vandal removed the coverings.
Nearly 100 people attended a rally at the administration building to protest removal of the plaques. NBC-5 Fort Worth interviewed one protester, Lisa Huski, who said her daughter carries a bible to class: “It’s not about a plaque. It’s about God being in our children’s schools. It’s about us standing up for the fact that God’s in our school.” On Aug. 28, Superintendent Jerome Stewart announced the plaques would remain uncovered while the district seeks legal advice. Stewart earlier had said they’d have to be replaced because of their “questionable constitutional nature.”
NBC-5 reported that the Liberty Institute in Plano, infamous for defending the bible banners used by cheerleaders in Kountze, Texas, is involved. Liberty Institute’s Hiram Sasser claimed “the school district created a limited public forum for plaques relating to the topic of the building dedication,” which he further claimed cannot be censored “simply because of its religious viewpoint.”
“The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment stands for the principle that the state must remain separate from church, from religion,” FFRF attorney Grover said. “This is a public school district, so it represents the state, and therefore it can’t take a position on religion.”
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor pointed to more than 65 years of firm Supreme Court decisions protecting chidren from religious proselytizing and rituals in public schools.
“What makes this case especially egregious is the fact that these religious plaques hang on elementary schools where a captive audience of very young students are being sent a theocratic message. What a lesson in abuse of authority and our secular school system,” Gaylor added.
FFRF’s office has fielded a number of crank calls from Texas and reported one threat to police.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation recently ended a series of violations in public schools in Orange County, Fla., as well as invocations at City Commission meetings in Winter Garden.
The commission voted Sept. 5 to replace prayers with a moment of silence, following a controversy in which Mayor John Rees ejected a citizen from the meeting simply because he wouldn’t stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel sent a letter of complaint Aug. 29 in support of the citizen, “John Thoreau,” a member of FFRF and the Central Florida Freethought Community, FFRF’s local chapter.
As documented in a video recorded by Thoreau, Rees told everyone present to rise for the invocation and the pledge. As the prayer began, Rees interrupted, pointing at the seated Thoreau and saying, “We’re waiting for everyone to rise.” Thoreau repeatedly asserted he did not have to and remained seated. The sectarian prayer, given by a commission member, continued.
When Thoreau also refused to stand for the pledge, Rees ordered Police Chief George Brennan to “either escort him out or have him stand for the pledge.” Rees continued, “This is just not fair to our troops and people overseas, sir.” Brennan asked Thoreau whether he would stand or leave. He answered, “I guess I’m leaving” and was escorted out in front of the nearly 100 people in the room.
Rees claimed the refusal to stand was disrespectful, telling the Orlando Sentinel, “I did not make him stand for the prayer, but the pledge? Even school kids stand. So I told him, ‘You have two choices: You can stand or go outside.’ ”
Seidel, in a follow-up letter, asked the commission to “get rid of prayer altogether” and asked Rees to explain at the next meeting “that citizens are within their rights to remain sitting for the pledge and that it does not reflect a lack of patriotism.”
The commission held a special meeting Sept. 5 and voted 3-2 to substitute a moment of silence for an invocation. (Rees voted no.) Four chapter members and chapter leader David Williamson spoke against the prayers.
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker praised the decision, noting that it’s a major coup to persuade a city to drop prayers.
Orange County Schools
Orange County Public Schools in Orlando agreed in late August to end a variety of state/church violations. This is the district that, following a federal lawsuit, is now permitting FFRF and other nonbelievers to distribute freethought literature on the same date that evangelists “passively distribute” bibles. FFRF has had to contact the district about more than 10 violations in the past 18 months.
Following a March complaint letter from Seidel, the district is abolishing athletic chaplaincies for its teams and removing bible verses from sports venues and apparel. Other violations included using religious music on game footage.
The district’s August memo from the Office of Legal Services stated: “Having a team chaplain is not permitted as it is an unconstitutional endorsement of religion in the same manner as a school employee participating in prayer with students. In this area the law is very clear.”
Regarding staff praying with students, the memo said: “On this issue the matter is well decided that school personnel ‘cannot participate in a visible way with the players’ during student-led prayer. . . . Please make sure to educate the staff at this and other schools that active participation by any School Board employee and/or non-faculty coach in student-led prayer must not occur as it is contrary to established case law.”
The school also properly got rid of the bible verses on team signs and apparel. “While the signs themselves may be permitted,” the memo said, “the reference or citation to a particular bible verse is deemed to be an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.”
The school also agreed with FFRF about banning religious music in videos: “The usage of religious lyrics could be seen as an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.”
Of course, these sensible actions were met with near hysteria on Fox News. Bobby Bowden, retired Florida State University football coach, noted during one interview that he didn’t care about the Constitution or the First Amendment: “I want to be spiritually correct.”
Extremely conservative Fox columnist Todd Starnes, not known for his accuracy or balance, reported that one chaplain would stay but be renamed as a “life coach.” He also charged that FFRF is trying to “eradicate Christianity in the public marketplace of ideas.”
“If this ‘life coach’ nonsense is accurate, Orange County can’t avoid this issue with creative wordplay,” responded Seidel.
FFRF still has outstanding complaints, including school-sponsored baccalaureates, holding school events in churches and forcing students to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Dan Courtney, an FFRF Life Member and engineer who’s active with the Atheist Society of Rochester and is past president of the Free Thinkers of Upstate New York, delivered the first atheist invocation at a town board meeting in Greece, N.Y., after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in May that said Greece’s practice of allowing sectarian prayer was OK as long as the town didn’t discriminate.
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor came from Wisconsin to lend moral support (and promptly sat down during the “under God” part of the Pledge of Allegiance). The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reported more than 100 people and 14 news cameras were present.
Courtney said he was surprised by all the media attention. “I would like it to get to a point where this would not be news at all, but at the same time, I appreciate the attention because this is important in a society that to a large extent doesn’t respect nonbelief.”
Many in the audience held supportive signs such as “I Stand for Secular Values.” A protester held a “JESUS SAVES. Ye must be BORN AGAIN” sign and said he felt “compelled” to come. He wouldn’t identify himself, the paper reported.
Lisa Gleason of Greece wore a shirt that said “I’m an atheist because . . . I have read it” on the front and “1 Corinthians 14:34 Women should remain silent in the Churches” on the back.
“I think this will spur people across the country to push harder,” she said.
Dan Courtney, Greece, N.Y. City Council, 7-15-14
Thank you, members of the Town Board. Thank you, Supervisor Rielich, for allowing me to offer the invocation.
Freethinkers, atheists, nonbelievers, whatever label you wish, this group comprises a significant part of our population. I am honored to be providing an invocation on their behalf and on behalf of all the citizens of the town of Greece.
On July 4, 1776, the 56 men who pledged their lives to the document that changed the course of history, agreed to the central tenet that, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
More than 238 years later, the central premise still echoes, however faintly, from the town hall to the white-columned halls of Washington. Yet this premise, this foundation necessary for a free and flourishing society, is today, more than ever, under assault. This central pillar of a free society; this notion that is deeply heretical to authoritarian culture, proclaims that it is from the people that moral authority is derived. It is that within us, the citizens, that knowledge and wisdom must emerge.
The preservation of this premise does not come from accepting the status quo, but by asserting our rights and exercising our duties. That this premise still endures testifies to its truth, and we can say with confidence that it is in seeking the counsel of our conscience that we find the beginning of wisdom. It is in the exercise of our duty as citizens that we find the beginning of knowledge.
We, as citizens, the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega of our destiny, are not, as the great philosopher Immanuel Kant warned, mere means to the ends of another, but we are ends in ourselves.
This basic premise, this profound idea, guides us such that we need not kneel to any king, and we need not bow to any tyrant.
So I ask all officials present here, as guarantors of our Founders’ revolutionary proclamation, to heed the counsel of the governed, to seek the wisdom of all citizens, and to honor the enlightened wisdom and the profound courage of those 56 brave men.
Linda Allewalt, Secular invocation, Shelbyville, Ky., City Council, 7-17-14
Good evening. As this is a secular invocation and not a prayer, there is no need to stand during my presentation. Tonight I would like to have us think about “blessings.”
Last year the council passed a set of resolutions outlining their new program for including invocations in city council meetings. In the resolutions, the council stated that the main purpose of an opening invocation was “for the benefit and blessings of the council.”
The word “blessings” drew my attention because it is a word heard often in our society in differing contexts. I wondered what the term really means. The origins of the word “bless” are from Old English and its meaning is connected to a human action. It refers to the action of sprinkling blood on a pagan altar. I don’t think that is what the council had in mind.
But what did they have in mind when using that term? It appears from reading the resolutions and how the invocation system is set up that they feel the source of blessings comes exclusively from a divine entity. But is that true? And what do “blessings” have to do with the realm of government?
The founders of our country provided us with a clue in this paragraph. “We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
The founders did not mention a divine source for their “blessings,” but a human one. . . we the people. We the people take the actions and make the laws to secure our blessings for ourselves and for future generations. Following these words are the contents of our Constitution . . . a vehicle to assist us in securing our blessings of liberty. The Constitution makes no mention of a deity in creating this vehicle, and its authors chose not to invoke blessings from a divine entity during their deliberations.
I would appeal to the council and those in attendance here to consider this:
In government, blessings are the actions we take and the decisions we make out of our common human desire to form communities and make them successful. The council’s blessings come from working with fellow council members in trying to fulfill their roles as representatives of all the people. They also come from the citizens who take the time to attend and offer their advice, their expertise, and even their criticism. These blessings do not need to be invoked. They are at your fingertips every day.
So I would encourage the council and all those who make the efforts to ensure the success of our community to consider these observable and measurable blessings --— to consider their true source, and to never forget to count them!
I wish you a peaceful and productive meeting.
Editor’s note: Linda adds that since she followed up her invocation with a statement during the public comments section of the meeting advising the council to shut the discriminatory program down, “I think this is my first and last invocation!”
Linda Stephens (with NOW sign) at a rally she organized at the Federal Building in Rochester, N.Y., protesting a Catholic group which was protesting the Affordable Care Act’s birth control mandate. “The theme of both of our protest and theirs was ‘Support Religious Freedom,’” Linda said. “Of course, we each defined that term differently. I had signs printed up that read ‘Religious Dogma, Bad For Your Health.’ ”
Name: Linda Stephens.
Where I live: Greece, N.Y., a suburb of Rochester.
Where and when I was born: Battle Creek, Mich., Nov. 16, 1942.
Family: Kathryn Gibson (mother, 91) and five younger siblings, one deceased.
Education: B.A. in English (Western Michigan University), M.A. in English (SUNY-Brockport), master of library science (SUNY-Geneseo), Ed.D. (Syracuse University).
Occupation: Retired librarian.
How I got where I am today: By reading, traveling, observing life and thinking.
These are a few of my favorite things: Poetry, flowers, indie films, travel, Bruce Springsteen.
These are not: Fox News, anti-abortion protesters, religious bigots.
A quotation I like: “Come, come my conservative friend, wipe the dew from your spectacles and see that the world is moving.” (Elizabeth Cady Stanton)
My doubts about religion started: In my high school years, but they solidified in 1962 when I was 19 and attended a symposium titled “Is there a God?” at Albion College in Michigan.
Where I’m headed: To England in the fall to visit “Hardy Country.” A writer for The New Yorker called Thomas Hardy “God’s Undertaker,” and Hardy made no bones about the fact that he was a nonbeliever. In fact, one of Hardy’s most famous poems is titled “God’s Funeral.” In it, he describes a procession carrying the corpse of the “man-projected Figure . . . whom we can no longer keep alive.”
Before I die: My wish list includes a woman president in the White House, passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, early retirements by Justices Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Roberts and the death of racism. (A few pipe dreams in there, I know.)
Ways I promote freethought: I was the atheist plaintiff in the Town of Greece v. Galloway Supreme Court decision. I am an event organizer for the Atheist Community of Rochester (ACoR). I am the vice president and web administrator for the Rochester chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. I was vice chair of Monroe Citizens for Public Education and Religious Liberty before it disbanded.
Other activism: I am past president of the Greater Rochester chapter of the National Organization for Women.
Person in history I admire and why: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, lead author of the “Declaration of Sentiments,” which was presented at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 in Seneca Falls, N.Y., and which kicked off the first women’s rights and women’s suffrage movements in the United States.
I also admire Elizabeth because she believed that “The heyday of woman’s life is the shady side of fifty.”
Max Nielson spoke May 3 at the Freedom From Religion in the Bible Belt conference sponsored by FFRF in conjunction with its chapter, the Triangle Freethought Society, in Raleigh, N.C. Max had previously received a student activist award at FFRF’s 2012 annual convention in Portland, Ore.
That year he became lead plaintiff in FFRF’s federal lawsuit to stop graduation prayers in his school district. The issue is largely resolved, but FFRF, Max and two other plaintiffs (Dakota McMillan and Jacob Zupon) are still challenging prayer by their school board.
Max received a second honor in Raleigh, the Allen P. Wilkinson Student Activist Award of $1,000, generously endowed by FFRF member Allen P. Wilkinson. He asked that it go to the student who “best exemplifies qualities of FFRF and dares to speak up and engage in enlightening high school students and others in the community.”
I was raised secular with the Unitarian Universalist Church in Columbia, S.C. So when I was confronted with the issue of school prayer at my high school, I didn’t really know what to do at first. I didn’t know that I could do anything until I found out that a similar issue had already been settled with help from FFRF in my state through the complaint of Harrison Hopkins.
District 5, where I lived, had a policy on the books that a majority of graduating seniors would vote on whether or not to have a prayer at graduation. It is kind of ridiculous. Rights are not to be voted on. And every part of that graduation prayer ceremony process was facilitated by school officials. It was a clear violation of church and state across the board.
Since I last spoke at the FFRF convention about my case, I’ve gone on to found the Secular Student Alliance at the College of Charleston and interned in D.C. with the Secular Coalition for America. I began work as their social media specialist, in which I have helped launch Openly Secular, which has been a lot of fun. This year I continued to lead the Secular Student Alliance in Charleston. This summer I am interning with the Center for Inquiry in Buffalo, N.Y.
The opportunity FFRF has given me to become involved with this movement I never even knew existed has probably been one of the most profoundly impactful moments of my life. I am very grateful for the opportunity. But my co-plaintiff, Dakota, is still in high school. Dakota and my other co-plaintiff, Jacob, having just graduated, didn’t have all of those opportunities.
Something that stands out since I last spoke was that Dakota was handed a note by one of her friends, who said — I can quote directly from it — he was discussing the issue of the lawsuit with his mother. He was basically given the ultimatum of agreeing that there should be a graduation prayer or not living in the household. It was that stark.
The way Dakota got this note was that she was wondering why this friend suddenly had stopped talking to her. It is horrifying. It is a scary thing to have happen to her.
I went through my deposition with the attorneys. The first half of it was very intense. They were asking all sorts of questions about my history with the Boy Scouts of America or any time I would have encountered public prayer of any sort.
It relaxed after Aaron, my fantastic lawyer, cut in and informed them I am only suing for nominal damages. Even the lawyers on the other side understand that the school prayer issue is pretty much settled.
Since then, as mentioned, the case has grown to encompass the school board prayers, and at those events they oftentimes have pastors come in from neighboring churches. And there are events at the school board meetings where students are invited and actively attend. I think on that issue we will see some change.
As Annie Laurie mentioned, they have changed the school policy from voting on graduation prayer to directly parroting the South Carolina Student-led Messages Act. Which I am OK with. It basically says the school can appoint a student speaker, and then they are done. That is it. They do not have any influence on what that speaker says. If that speaker wants to pray, that is within the purview of their free speech. I am much more comfortable with that than a specifically sponsored graduation prayer event.
I am happy to see how far this has come, and I am very grateful for this award and the opportunities FFRF has given me. Thank you.
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