First-graders in a Hondo, Texas, public elementary school will no longer be saying prayers at the direction of their teacher, said the school principal in response to a complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation on behalf of one of its Texas members.
The complainants' daughter was in the first-grade class, where
the teacher asked her students to pray each day during morning
announcements. When a substitute teacher was present, the students were
instead told to have a moment of silence.
Hondo is about an hour west of San Antonio and has one elementary school. In the Foundation's letter
to the school, Staff Attorney Rebecca Kratz Markert noted that the
prayerful teacher had taught in the district for 26 years and "has
never been called out for this illegal conduct."
"It is well settled that a public school teacher may not lead,
direct or ask her students to engage in prayer," the letter said. "The
Supreme Court has continually struck down formal and teacher- or
school-led prayer in public schools."
Courts have struck down prayer in public schools because it's
government endorsement of religion, Markert said. "Your school district
should make certain that its teachers are not unlawfully and
inappropriately indoctrinating students in religious matters."
The Hondo Independent School District's official policy also
prohibits staff from encouraging students to either pray or refrain
from praying in school.
The school's principal responded
within a week of getting the Foundation's letter to say she had met
with the teacher to remind her of the prayer prohibition. "She
understands and will follow correct policy," wrote Principal Ellen
Schueling.
"I will be holding meeting with the teachers at each grade
level to make sure all of them are in complete understanding of the
policy," Schueling said.
Annie Laurie Gaylor, Foundation co-president, called the
violation "egregious" and said it was fairly shocking to get such a
complaint from a parent in this day and age.
"It's been nearly 50 years since the Supreme Court moved to
protect schoolchildren from government-fostered religious
indoctrination," she said.
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OPINION:Public School Teacher Forces 1st Graders to Pray
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So, we agree
This "teacher" violated the school policy, let alone the Constitution of the United States of America, and she got a 'talking-to'?
Is she a first grader, too? Can't we get a time-out even?
- Submariner November 4, 2009 12:49PM
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Have you read the constitution?
She violated the policy, not the actual constitution . The constitution simply bans a government sanctioned religion . The school 's policy is simply a defense against wasting money on lawsuits, filed by left wing atheist extremists, who want to debate the constitution on the school district's dime.
- joelinda November 4, 2009 1:03PM
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Yes I have read the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment
What this teacher did was in violation of the Establishment Clause. President Jefferson first explained the clause. Then the 14th Amendment extended Federal retrictions down onto local and state governments and their agents. The U.S. Supreme Court has been very clear on this problem. No government agency or agent can endorse religion . This teacher as a government agent was endorsing religion, in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution .
joelinda, try taking some classes in Constitutional law before trying to tell people what is or is not unconstitutional.
- Monty Gaither
November 5, 2009 4:41PM
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Interpretation
I asked if the person had read the constitution . You referenced the interpretations and the Supreme Court's findings in later years. You are correct, the enforceable law of the land and what the constitution actually says are two different things. Most people don't get that point and so they aren't as concerned about judges who legislate from the bench. Thank you for your fine illustration.
- joelinda November 6, 2009 12:57PM
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JoeLinda, Simpler than school policy.
If the teacher was receiving tax supported funds, she violated the constitution !
The government funds cannot be used for religious purposes.
- melbrant
November 5, 2009 3:51PM
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Why are we hearing of this?
"The school 's principal responded within a week of getting the Foundation's letter to say she had met with the teacher to remind her of the prayer prohibition. "She understands and will follow correct policy," wrote Principal Ellen Schueling. "
Ok so she agrees to stop prayer after being told once, so why is it newsworthy then if there's no lawsuit , no fight, no nothing.
- Father Time
November 11, 2009 11:39PM
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