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FFRF stops fourth-grade ‘field trip’ to Ohio Nazarene church
Taking public school students to a Nazarene church to hear a bible story violates state-church separation, even if the school calls it “release time” instead of a field trip, says the Freedom From Religion Foundation in a complaint to Maple Leaf Intermediate School in Garfield Heights, Ohio. The Foundation’s complaint forced the school district to cancel its illegal “field trip” to a church during school hours.
The case goes back to 2007, when FFRF first complained on behalf of a local resident. The Foundation renewed its complaint in 2008 and 2009. This is at least the fourth-straight year the field trip was scheduled.
On its website, the Church of the Nazarene says it’s “a Great Commission church. . . . ‘To make Christlike disciples in the nations’ is the new seven-word statement of mission.”
Patrick Elliott, FFRF staff attorney, wrote to Superintendent Linda Reid on May 20 about the violation: “It is our understanding that the school has promoted such visits as bible story programs. We received information that the programs incorporate proselytizing of the students and ask that they accept Jesus Christ as their savior.”
A parental permission slip for the trips scheduled for May 26-27 called them a “release time activity.” Initially, FFRF’s complainant said, times were set up during the school day for all fourth and fifth graders to attend. Things changed after FFRF’s complaint letter.
On May 26, an e-mail went to staff that said the church visits were postponed due to “scheduling conflicts.” The school later confirmed to Elliott that a church visit occurred after school on June 2.
Religious programming as part of a school field trip violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.
“The Constitution’s prohibition against school-sponsored religious exercise cannot be overcome by claiming such activities are ‘voluntary,’ ” Elliott noted.
“It is an egregious abuse of government power to proselytize a captive audience of young schoolchildren in this manner. No public school should dictate what church to visit or what God to believe in or not believe in. Surely the school would not promote a field trip in which religious leaders would proselytize to young students on Islam, Judaism, Scientology, Hinduism or other faiths,” the Foundation’s letter said.
Elliott added, “Nine- and 10-year-old children in a public school should not have to be made to feel like outsiders because they do not fit in with what the school says is orthodox.”
The Foundation has sent a follow-up letter to the school to determine what public resources were used in arranging and carrying out the after-school trip to the church.
It always amazes me when people given the responsibility of educating our children in the public school system attempt religious educational endeavors for the purpose of gaining followers. It is shameful that litigation becomes necessary to stop a school from releasing children from the opportunity of free-thinking humanism in exchange for the consumption of fairytale indoctrination at taxpayer expense and national advancement.
I have two young children in elementary school in south MS, they come home everyday brain washed!
My eight year old is in summer school. Three classes, Computer Video Lab, Lego Robotics, and Chemistry, Physics and Bubbles round out his curriculum. One hour round trip to drop him off and another hour to pick him up. We know it is worth our time, when we pick him up and he can hardly wait to tell us what he is working on. The Godless Monster, http://thegodlessmonster.com/2010/06/16/bucking-t… wrote a post regarding the Nebraska science standards. A very positive signal that all is not yet lost. There is still time to save of country from permanent decline!