PIEDMONT, Alabama — Piedmont City school officials say they have suspended public prayers at home football games in response to a letter from a Wisconsin-based organization.
In an Oct. 22 post on the school’s Facebook page, the school released a statement in response to questions about the lack of prayer.
School officials said they received a letter on March 20 from an attorney with the Freedom From Religion Foundation of Madison, Wisc. The letter said a local resident, who was not named, reported the system was violating the Constitution’s First Amendment by allowing a public prayer over the public address system at football games.
The letter went on to cite six different cases the group said struck down school-sponsored prayer at public events.
“While the personal opinions of the administration and employees of the system may differ with the opinions of the Court and the author of the letter sent to the system,” the post reads, “the school system’s attorneys advised that we consent since there is established case law regarding this issue.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, on its website, states its purpose as promoting “the constitutional principle of separation of state and church” and educating the public on issues related to freethinking.
The Anniston Star reports the school now has a moment of silence during the game, during which some spectators in unison recite the Lord’s Prayer.
October 26, 2014 7:58 AM
