The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter addressed to Giles County Director of Schools Tee Jackson after it received a complaint from parents that a prayer containing the phrase “Jesus Christ” was recited at a May 20 graduation ceremony at Pulaski Elementary [Tennessee].
-- From "Organization Complains About School Prayer" posted at WSMV-TV4 (Nashville, TN) 5/27/11
The letter said the concern is on behalf of residents who complained. It asks the school district to disallow prayer at other planned graduation ceremonies.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has filed similar complaints over school prayer in other cities across the United States.
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From "Prayer at Giles Co. school event draws criticism" by Chris Graham, Columbia Daily Herald 6/1/11
Bill Holt, principal at Pulaski Elementary, confirmed Tuesday he had also received a letter from the organization. He said he invited Robert Hatfield, a minister at East Hill Church of Christ in Pulaski, to lead the graduation in an invocation. In past years, ministers from different denominations have prayed at the event, Holt said.
“It saddens me that America has come to this point that you can’t have a little kindergarten program and say a prayer,” said Holt, who has been an educator for 44 years. “We’re not trying to push religion on anybody.”
But the Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, an association of athiests and agnostics, states in its letter the prayer at the graduation ceremony was unconstitutional, citing past U.S. Supreme Court rulings. The prayer lasted two minutes and ended with “in the name of Jesus Christ,” according to the letter.
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