Walton County School Boards Votes to Approve Religous Neutrality in Schools Manual

[Jdarg]

From the Walton Sun--

Federal judge’s decision influences neutrality guidelines in Walton County schools


January 15, 2009 - 12:12 PM
Mary Brady
On Jan. 9, a preliminary injunction was granted by a United States District Court, ordering the Santa Rosa School District to discontinue religious advancement. The Walton County School District's religious neutrality training manual is also dated Jan. 9.
"We have promulgated religious neutrality guidelines and a training manual as a direct result of the American Civil Liberties Union case in Santa Rosa County," said Mark Davis, Walton County School Board's Dist. 5 member. "This should work," he added.
Voting in favor of distribution of the manual in Walton County were four board members, with a dissenting vote cast by Sharon Roberts, Dist. 3, on the basis that its use "put administrators' heads on the chopping block."
"The (Santa Rosa) School District ultimately did the right thing in admitting and accepting responsibility for its violations of students' constitutional rights," said Benjamin James Stevenson, principal litigator and staff attorney with the ACLU of Florida's Northwest Regional office.


The preliminary injunction entered by the court prohibits all district officials from:
•? promoting or sponsoring prayers during school-sponsored events, including graduation;
•? planning or financing religious baccalaureate services;
•? holding school-sponsored events at religious venues when alternative venues are reasonably available; and
•? permitting school officials to promote their personal religious beliefs and proselytize students in class or during school-sponsored events and activities.


Parties to the suit and the court will work together to fashion permanent relief reflecting these principles.
"We are pleased with Friday's decision, and we look forward to working with the defendants and the court to permanently bring the school district in line with the First Amendment,"said Stevenson.


The complete manual approved for distribution to administrators by the Walton County School District, "Religious Neutrality in Public Schools - The First Amendment" is available for viewing and download on the School District's web site at http://www.walton.k12.fl.us/board/minutes/pdf/boardpackets/010609%20Electronic%20Agenda%20II.pdf.






Excellent work, WCSD board! The majority of you voted with common sense, and re-emphasized that kids are in public school for education, not religious education.

 

[30ashopper]

From the Walton Sun--

Federal judge?s decision influences neutrality guidelines in Walton County schools


January 15, 2009 - 12:12 PM
Mary Brady
On Jan. 9, a preliminary injunction was granted by a United States District Court, ordering the Santa Rosa School District to discontinue religious advancement. The Walton County School District's religious neutrality training manual is also dated Jan. 9.
"We have promulgated religious neutrality guidelines and a training manual as a direct result of the American Civil Liberties Union case in Santa Rosa County," said Mark Davis, Walton County School Board's Dist. 5 member. "This should work," he added.
Voting in favor of distribution of the manual in Walton County were four board members, with a dissenting vote cast by Sharon Roberts, Dist. 3, on the basis that its use "put administrators' heads on the chopping block."
"The (Santa Rosa) School District ultimately did the right thing in admitting and accepting responsibility for its violations of students' constitutional rights," said Benjamin James Stevenson, principal litigator and staff attorney with the ACLU of Florida's Northwest Regional office.


The preliminary injunction entered by the court prohibits all district officials from:
?? promoting or sponsoring prayers during school-sponsored events, including graduation;
?? planning or financing religious baccalaureate services;
?? holding school-sponsored events at religious venues when alternative venues are reasonably available; and
?? permitting school officials to promote their personal religious beliefs and proselytize students in class or during school-sponsored events and activities.


Parties to the suit and the court will work together to fashion permanent relief reflecting these principles.
"We are pleased with Friday's decision, and we look forward to working with the defendants and the court to permanently bring the school district in line with the First Amendment,"said Stevenson.


The complete manual approved for distribution to administrators by the Walton County School District, "Religious Neutrality in Public Schools - The First Amendment" is available for viewing and download on the School District's web site at http://www.walton.k12.fl.us/board/minutes/pdf/boardpackets/010609 Electronic Agenda II.pdf.






Excellent work, WCSD board! The majority of you voted with common sense, and re-emphasized that kids are in public school for education, not religious education.

I agree that public schools should be agnostic. We have many religions (or lack of) and students should be able to make their own choices. I'm curious though, does this in any way allow Walton County schools to prevent free expression? One of the line items you mentioned jdarg - "promoting or sponsoring prayers during school-sponsored events, including graduation" does this prevent the student body in any way from say, reciting a prayer before a public event, such as a game or practice, even if all involved want to?

 

[Jdarg]

I agree that public schools should be agnostic. We have many religions (or lack of) and students should be able to make their own choices. I'm curious though, does this in any way allow Walton County schools to prevent free expression? One of the line items you mentioned jdarg - "promoting or sponsoring prayers during school-sponsored events, including graduation" does this prevent the student body in any way from say, reciting a prayer before a public event, such as a game or practice, even if all involved want to?

I just quoted the article, which has the verbage of the ruling. Saying I "mentioned" it might imply that these are my words, and they are not.

What is wrong with a good ol' moment of silence?

How would it be determined that the "all involved" truly meant everyone in attendance? What kind of prayer would be selected, who would do the picking, and what if the picked prayer didn't jive with really super-conservative hellfire-and-damnation Christians, or was too, say, General Baptist for the masses?

A moment of silence is easy- everyone gets what they want, nobody gets anything they don't.

 

[wrobert]

I agree that public schools should be agnostic. We have many religions (or lack of) and students should be able to make their own choices. I'm curious though, does this in any way allow Walton County schools to prevent free expression? One of the line items you mentioned jdarg - "promoting or sponsoring prayers during school-sponsored events, including graduation" does this prevent the student body in any way from say, reciting a prayer before a public event, such as a game or practice, even if all involved want to?

The rules in the post look like the same ones that they have had the whole time.

Not going to change Federal law that gives students rights of expression. http://www.religioustolerance.org/equ_acce.htm

They did need to put something in writing. This came up a couple of years ago and without a policy it is hard to discipline an employee that violates the thing. Going to be interesting what changes in some of our elementary schools though.

The school board needs to take the additional step of doing their opening prayer prior to convening their meeting. Always good to see government put into practice the rules that they promulgate.

 

[John R]

will this ruling affect the pledge of allegiance?

 

[Bdarg]

The rules in the post look like the same ones that they have had the whole time.

Not going to change Federal law that gives students rights of expression. http://www.religioustolerance.org/equ_acce.htm

They did need to put something in writing. This came up a couple of years ago and without a policy it is hard to discipline an employee that violates the thing. Going to be interesting what changes in some of our elementary schools though.

The school board needs to take the additional step of doing their opening prayer prior to convening their meeting. Always good to see government put into practice the rules that they promulgate.

Agreed that the school board should practice as it preaches, and rearrange their prayer schedule as well, or else, probably more appropriately, provide for a moment of silence.

The federal judge's injunction is directed at district officials and school officials. It does not concern the case mentioned in your link which concerns students. The new injunction appears to be more directed at the school board for not adhering to the 1963 supreme court ruling in Abington Township School District v. Schempp.

I have heard that Walton County schools had preacher lead prayers before athletic events up until just a couple of years ago when a complaiant of some sort helped to bring the Walton County school system into constitutional compliance for the first time in roughly 40 some years, at least in that matter. Now a federal judge's injunction has brought them further toward compliance with the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the school children and their parents.

The difference between the link cited and this injunction is that in the link deals with student lead, student formed groups, whereas the injunction is prohibiting school personnel from promoting religion: on school grounds, at school sponsored events, etc.

The Federal Equal Access Act, as I understand it was a law that Reagan signed which allows for student formed groups such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Gay Straight Alliance.

The injunction would be more concerned with school system people promoting their religions to the students, be the school system person Hindu, Baptist, Jewish, Catholic, Wiccan, or some other religion.

It is best to compare apples to apples.

 

[30A Skunkape]

The moment of silence discriminates against those who speak in tongues.;-)

 

[Bdarg]

The moment of silence discriminates against those who speak in tongues.;-)

and those that handle snakes as well.

 

[30A Skunkape]

and those that handle snakes as well.

Yeah, but they never have felt easy thanks to the doodling of the founding fathers...

 

[30ashopper]

I just quoted the article, which has the verbage of the ruling. Saying I "mentioned" it might imply that these are my words, and they are not.

What is wrong with a good ol' moment of silence?

Absolutely nothing. I was just asking if this in any way entitles school educators the right to prevent free expression for students.