Below is a copy of the letter that the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent yesterday to the Superintendent of the Lebanon, Missouri School District, as well as to all members of the Lebanon School Board. The author, FFRF Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott, lays out on pages 2 and 3 the legal case (and the precedents) for Principal Lowery’s speech constituting a violation of the First Amendment.“Fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote”: The Freedom from Religion Foundation calls out Lebanon’s School Board and Superintendent « Why Evolution Is True
Showing posts with label Lebanon High School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lebanon High School. Show all posts
Thursday, June 5, 2014
ADDENDUM::“Fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote”: The Freedom from Religion Foundation calls out Lebanon’s School Board and Superintendent « Why Evolution Is True
Concerning this story brought to light by Dr. Jerry Coyne, Atheists attack public high school principal for praying to God during graduation ceremony:
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Atheists attack public high school principal for praying to God during graduation ceremony
According to Dr. Jerry Coyne, Principal Kevin Lowery of Lebanon High School in Missouri delivered a speech that “blatantly disregarded the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to impose his religious beliefs on a captive audience.”
Lowery “not only called for a moment of silence (a common way around the prohibition of prayer in public schools), but then told the audience that he used his own moment of silence to ask for God’s blessing.” In a video of the graduation ceremony, Lowery can be heard saying that “while it would not be politically correct for us to have an official prayer this evening, I would like for us to have a moment of silence in honor of tonight’s graduates.”
After the moment of silence ends, the principal said “just in case you’re interested, during my moment of silence, I gave thanks to God for these great students, their parents, their teachers, and for this community.”
“I’m not finished,” he added. “I asked God to protect these students as they go their separate ways into the world. I asked God to avail Himself in every possible way. And I asked God to watch over them, to protect them, and to bless them with self-fulfillment, with compassion, inner peace, and personal prosperity.”
Atheists attack public high school principal for praying to God during graduation ceremony
Lowery “not only called for a moment of silence (a common way around the prohibition of prayer in public schools), but then told the audience that he used his own moment of silence to ask for God’s blessing.” In a video of the graduation ceremony, Lowery can be heard saying that “while it would not be politically correct for us to have an official prayer this evening, I would like for us to have a moment of silence in honor of tonight’s graduates.”
After the moment of silence ends, the principal said “just in case you’re interested, during my moment of silence, I gave thanks to God for these great students, their parents, their teachers, and for this community.”
“I’m not finished,” he added. “I asked God to protect these students as they go their separate ways into the world. I asked God to avail Himself in every possible way. And I asked God to watch over them, to protect them, and to bless them with self-fulfillment, with compassion, inner peace, and personal prosperity.”
Atheists attack public high school principal for praying to God during graduation ceremony
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