A few months ago, we brought you news that a Jewish teacher, Brian Schipper, had sued Florence High School for sponsoring a host of religious activities in conjunction with the evangelical Cowboy Church at Crossroads. The teacher’s case has come to a close, and he has settled with the Fremont School District.
Now, according to a court order, the Bible-study classes, flagpole morning prayers and Christian rock concerts the public school has become known for will no longer take place and the Cowboy Church at Crossroads is no longer able to use the high school as a site for religious activities.
From now on, school district employees, while acting in an official capacity, will no longer be allowed to pray with students or engage in any other activity that appears to be an endorsement of religion including handing out religious literature.
There will be no more prayers at assemblies, in class, at graduation ceremonies and school-sponsored prayer nights. There will be no more prayer boxes on school property or prayer ceremonies blocking the entrances and exits of the school. And the Cowboy Church at Crossroads is from here on out banned from using the school facilities for religious services.
If a students form a religious group, that’s legally kosher, as long as it’s actually led by students and not by district staffers or outside pastors foisting their religion on kids.
All images are from the court documents.
I love the smell of secularism in the morning!