First Amendment freedoms came under fire from community members and a nonprofit group when prayers and a hymn were sung at a planned training event for teachers and staff in the Jackson-Madison County school system.
Some questioned the constitutionality of the event.
In preparation for the start of the new school year on August 5, and in accordance with Tennessee State Education Law, JMCSS teachers attended five consecutive, mandatory professional development days for training and administrative purposes.
On July 30, the second day of the training week, teachers and staff gathered in an auditorium where they were led by prayers and singing. In a video posted on the school district’s social media, the crowd sings in harmony to the tune of the Christian song “Goodness of God” by CeCe Winans.
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Some teachers shared the video on their accounts in support of the service, with captions such as, “We were at church today” and that it was “such an uplifting part of our opening session.”
The nonprofit Freedom From Religion Foundation expressed concern that taxpayer money was being used to fund religion in public education. The organization said the constitutionality of the event blurred the lines between the separation of church and state.
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Concerns about religious freedom
On August 1, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter of complaint to JMCSS Superintendent Marlon King and Assistant Superintendents Vivian Williams and Ricky Catlett.
Hirsh Joshi, a Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow at FFRF, wrote the letter denouncing the violation of participants’ religious rights.
FFRF is a national watchdog organization founded in 1978 that advocates for the separation of church and state while supporting non-theists, atheists, agnostics, and “skeptics of all backgrounds.”
The Wisconsin-based nonprofit was made aware of the incident by members of the JMCSS community, who continue to send complaints to the FFRF.
The FFRF letter alleges that the district has “failed” to meet its obligation to maintain neutrality in the area of religion. The complaint emphasizes that “the district serves and employs a diverse population with varying religious beliefs, including Jews, Muslims, atheists and agnostics.”
“This letter is actually just a reminder that in the name of inclusion, the non-religious are also included. We are among those who need to be included and an official worship ceremony does not fulfill that at all,” Joshi said.
The FFRF argues that the prayers and hymns during the event violate religious freedom, a right enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 3 of the Tennessee State Constitution.
The Tennessee Establishment Clause set a precedent for religious freedom in a stricter model than that of the U.S. Constitution. It stipulated that “no law shall give preference to any religious establishment or form of worship.”
This cornerstone was founded in 1796 and has remained unchanged and unshakable since then.
Most recently, FFRF represented the Satanic Temple in a religious freedom violation case against the Shelby County Board of Education, which resulted in a nearly $15,000 settlement in March.
With a final call to action, the letter urges the district to respond and outlines the steps it will take to remain neutral and avoid any constitutional violations in the future.
“We understand that Dr. King is human and cannot rewrite the past. The incident happened and I think all we would want, especially from a principal who usually has a long tenure, is assurances that it won’t happen again. An apology would go a long way, but an apology can’t make up for anything in the sense that it can’t rewrite history. But I think if Dr. King and anyone at the school would give us assurances at next year’s in-service that it won’t happen again, then our issues with the school district would be pretty much resolved,” Joshi said.
Focus on religious unintentional
In a statement to the Jackson Sun on August 6, King assured that the violation of the participants’ religious freedom was unintentional.
“Please know that it was never our intention to make anyone uncomfortable or force religious beliefs on them. I deeply respect all religions and the diverse faiths of our community. Our goal was to inspire and unite our employees, not to promote a particular religious practice. Going forward, I will ensure that all professional development activities strictly adhere to policies that respect the religious freedom of all participants. I value open communication and am always willing to listen and make necessary adjustments to maintain our commitment to respect and inclusivity.”
King made the same statement in response to the FFRF, which has since closed the complaint file.
Sarah Best is a reporter for The Jackson Sun. To support local journalism, subscribe to the Daily Briefing Here
