Initially, the school board had approved an 11-word motion to allow Liberal High School (LHS) students to pray over the public address system before athletic events, but after prominent atheist lawyers threatened, the board then created a legal document to allow students to speak their "pre-game message" of "opinions and philosophies" over the P.A.
For other examples of Christian citizenship, read Randleman, North Carolina Citizens Pray at Game Despite ACLU Threat
For background, read Atheists Threaten to Sue Every School in Mississippi but admit they're Short on Lawyers to Sue ALL Christians
In addition, read Texas Law Tells Schools to Ignore Atheist Threats
-- From "Kansas school board allows student-led prayer over intercom" by Kristen Butler, UPI 9/26/13
School prayer was not on the agenda for Monday's meeting in Liberal, but board member Nick Hatcher brought it up at the last minute, saying he really missed prayer at football games.
. . . after the board's vote, students will again be allowed to initiate prayers over the intercom prior to games.
Superintendent of Schools Paul Larkin warned board members before the vote that they hadn’t considered possible problems.
"We can have student-led prayer, but if we turn away certain groups -- if you have someone who wants to serve up a prayer or a thought that isn’t the mainstream thinking -- you’re going to have a problem,” Larkin said. He suggested they get advice from the school board attorney.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Board votes unanimously to allow student-led prayer" by Rachel Coleman, Leader & Times (Liberal, KS) 9/24/13
Several years ago, LHS discontinued prayer at events like football games. Administration voiced concern that, by making the P.A. system available for prayers led by students or community members, the district could be perceived as sanctioning or even promoting traditional Christian prayer in violation of federal law. Student-led prayers then moved to the football field itself, prior to the game. However, no microphone or speaker system allowed spectators to hear such prayers. Monday night's vote will permit students to utilize the P.A. system for prayer before football games and all other special activities in the district.
. . . Board member Matt Friederich supported the motion, noting that “we make it a priority to open every board meeting with prayer.”
“We sit up here like hypocrites, and we pray,” said [board member Tammy] Sutherland-Abbott, “but we won’t let our kids do it.”
Sutherland-Abbott said she understood the federal law that prohibits school officials from leading prayer, but that she was tired of allowing the opinions of a few in America dictate what “the rest of us” could do. She made a motion to add the item “Student-Led Prayer” to the evening’s agenda.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "District replaces prayer with broader definition to meet legal standard" by Rachel Coleman, Leader & Times (Liberal, KS) 10/3/13
In its second special meeting within a week, the Liberal USD 480 school board voted Wednesday to rescind the previously-adopted “Motion to allow student-led prayer at all USD 480 activities,” then replaced it with a narrower and more detailed policy.
Board member Nick Hatcher, who introduced the idea of student-led prayer at the board’s last regular meeting Sept. 23, presented a motion to rescind his sincere but hasty [previously-passed] 11-word motion.
. . . Hatcher followed with a new motion [which passed], crafted to pass muster with legal requirements [referencing a new "Pre-Game Message Procedure" -- excerpts below]:
* On the day of the game, the principal or assistant principal shall randomly select a student’s name from the list of names of students who have signed up to deliver the pre-game message.
* A time shall be set aside (no more than two minutes in length) prior to commencement of the game in which the selected student shall be entitled to deliver on the public address system a message entirely of the student’s choosing, the content of which shall be prepared by the student and not otherwise reviewed by the USD 480 Board of Education or its employees or agents. The subject of the student pre-game message must be related to the purpose of the event, and to the purpose of marking the opening of the game, honoring the occasion, the participants and those in attendance, bringing the audience to order and focusing the audience on the game; provided however, the message shall not contain racist material; threaten or bully any individual or group; incite violence or breach of the peace; contain any vulgarity, obscenity or profanity; or otherwise disturb or disrupt the educational process.
To read the entire article above, and the entire "Pre-Game Message Procedure," CLICK HERE.
Because of the intimidation tactics of atheist lawyer organizations, state governments across America are educating its citizens on constitutional religious liberty by passing laws in Texas, and Louisiana, and North Carolina, and South Carolina, and Missouri, and Mississippi, and Florida, and Tennessee.
The root issue is American Religious Liberty vs. Anti-Christian Totalitarianism
To read the latest attacks on Christian prayer by atheists, click label "PRAYER" below:
