Van Buren school officials challenge charges of Constitutional violation

Van Buren Public Schools' top administrator is calling accusations that students at a city elementary school participated in a faculty-lead prayer during the school day inaccurate.

The accusations were originally leveled in a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation to Interim Superintendent Kerry Schneider, in which the group alleges staff at Central Elementary School "announced, over the intercom, that there was an assembly for students where there would be games and snacks."

The letter went on to allege that the assembly was conducted by "school staff, who asked the children to raise their hands in response to various religious questions, such is if they believed in God, if they went to church, and if they had never been to church."

"They then reportedly told the students to ask other students 'if they had Jesus in their hearts,' and told the kids if they didn't know Jesus, the staff members could help them," the letter continued. (Link here for a PDF copy of the letter.)

The letter, signed by Freedom From Religion Staff Attorney Patrick Elliott, detailed a variety of U.S. Supreme Court cases in which prayer, Bible lessons and other religious activities have been ruled unconstitutional in public schools before requesting an investigation into the matter. Elliott also requested Van Buren administrators ensure staff members are aware of restrictions on religious activities per the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.

Schneider said in his investigation of what happened, he was able to determine that some of the actions alleged in Elliott's letter were "not accurate."

"It said it happened during the school day, but the meeting they are talking about was at 7:30 in the morning. Our school day is from 8 (a.m.) to 3 (p.m.)," he said.

The assembly, he said, was actually a meeting of a student organization called Students With A Testimony (SWAT), which he said was similar to Fellowship of Christian Athletes for middle school and high school students.

"It's not compulsory, it's all voluntary and before school," he added.

Even though he said the meeting in question was a student organization and not an assembly, he said faculty members do sponsor student groups, including SWAT and said students were notified of the meeting during a once-weekly "Rise and Shine" assembly.

"The answer is yes (there are faculty sponsors). We don't have any organizations in our district that don't have an employee sponsor. As far as how kids know about the meeting, it was announced at 'Rise and Shine' that the meeting would be the following week," he said.

Asked whether other student groups were also announced at the "Rise and Shine" event, Schneider said he was not certain.

"'Rise and Shine' is generally an activity to get the kids more involved in school. I'm sure there's a segment of the program where they do announcements for what's coming up. But I'm not sure that this (announcement was) just for this meeting, or if all organizations (are announced) over the course of time."

Schneider said training does occur each year with district faculty and staff regarding "what is and isn't allowed" with regard to organized religion within the public public school setting.

He said a meeting of school administrators was also convened following the accusations by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

"We've already addressed it with district-level administrators and addressed it in a meeting on Sept. 10. Our administrative council, they meet once a month and we addressed it in that meeting and (administrators were instructed) to go back to their buildings to address it again with faculty and staff. It was just a reminder of what is and is not allowed."