Friday, May 27, 2011

ACLU demands apology for graduation prayer

In a strongly-worded letter, the American Civil Liberties Union today said they are "deeply troubled" by a student-led prayer at the graduation ceremonies of Bastrop High School earlier this month.

The joint statement was signed by representatives of the national ACLU, the ACLU of Louisiana, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. It was addressed to officials of Bastrop High School and the officials within the school district. A copy was released to the media as a press release.

The debate began after a Bastrop High student contacted the ACLU about prayer at school functions. The organization threatened to take legal action on the student's behalf.. School officials then said that instead of a prayer, there would be a moment of silence at the graduation ceremony.

However, the student that was to lead the moment of silence defied both school officials and the ACLU, and instead led the gathered crowd in prayer.

Youtube videos of the event show the crowd cheering wildly upon realizing that the student would go ahead with the prayer.

In addition to an apology to the student, the ACLU is asking for the school to consider disciplining the student who led the prayer, and to take measures "to ensure that graduation exercises are not exploited to present religious messages."

School district officials have not yet responded to the ACLU's demands.

The following is the letter sent by the ACLU and other organizations to the Bastrop ISD:

TO OFFICIALS OF BASTROP HIGH SCHOOL AND THE TRUSTEES OF THE BASTROP INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT REGARDING PRAYER AT GRADUATION CEREMONIES

May 26, 2011

Our organizations are deeply troubled by Bastrop High School’s long history of presenting prayers as part of the official program at graduation ceremonies. Although the Supreme Court made it abundantly clear almost two decades ago that public schools cannot include prayers as part of school events, School District officials have persisted with this practice.

Only when a student complained and threatened to sue did the School District take steps to discontinue the practice by replacing the prayer with a moment-of-silence. The steps taken, however, were far from effective. Instead of having a school official introduce the moment-of-silence — which would have ensured that the opportunity was not abused — school officials turned to a student. Not surprisingly, the student chose to deliver the Lord’s Prayer — while school officials sat idly by. To date, no apology has been delivered to the community by Bastrop High School officials or the Board of Trustees, for either past or recent events.

It is certainly not surprising that the student did not obey the School’s express directions, for she has been educated by a school system that has itself chosen to flout constitutional requirements. The school system’s longstanding disregard for constitutional norms has predictably bred a culture of noncompliance. This persistent culture will remain entrenched unless and until the School District takes at least some of the following actions:

- Issue a statement to the community and its students explaining the District’s legal duty to enforce and abide by the legal prohibition on the public schools’ sponsorship of graduation prayer, and assuring the community that past events will not recur. The School should use this opportunity to further its mission to educate the community and future graduating classes about legal requirements.

- Issue an apology to the student complainant, who was treated as a pariah not just by the community but by the School itself. Instead, he should have been honored for protecting a precious constitutional principle and calling the District’s attention to a longstanding, egregious violation of the law.

- Consider disciplining the student for insubordination to the same extent that it would discipline other similar infractions, insofar as the District retains jurisdiction to do so. The student’s insubordination is especially troubling here because of the School’s history of sponsoring and encouraging prayers in the past.

- In the future, the school system should ensure that graduation exercises are not exploited to present religious messages. The moment-of-silence can be presented by a school official rather than a student. If a student is used, the District cannot passively sit by if the student once again abuses this opportunity.

We urge Bastrop Independent School District officials to assure the community of their intent to comply with constitutional requirements. A decision to remain silent would serve to confirm that the prayer that was presented at the 2011 graduation was just the most recent in a long line of unconstitutional District-sponsored prayers.

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