Church, state, and school

In 2007, a newspaper columnist described how coaches at Skyline High School led football players in pre-game “chapel” so the students could “focus on the Lord.” He also witnessed the football players engaged in post-game prayer, which the columnist wrote was “a good sign for humanity’s future” that the students had “a faith and trust in something higher than self.” Knowing that the coach-led chapel services were a violation of the separation of church and state, I wrote a letter to the Issaquah School District asking that the prayers be stopped. Superintendent Rasmussen responded with a short letter and said he would “research the concerns you have raised.” Seven months later, having received no answer, I wrote again. I then asked the Freedom From Religion Foundation to have a chat with the school district on my behalf. Well, that apparently got the district’s attention. In the district’s letter, dated one year after my first letter to the district, the district admitted that coach-led chapel services are inappropriate and assured us that athletic directors at all high schools have directed coaches to abide by school policy, which bans coach-led religious services of any kind. The letter indicated that the Skyline athletic director “closely supervised the team this past season and confirmed that the policy has been adhered to.” It’s a good sign for humanity’s future when our public schools comply with the Constitution’s separation of church and state. Matthew J. Barry Issaquah

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