Written by Don Byrd
For the last few years, a handful of students at Colorado Springs’ Pine Creek High School have gathered in the choir room for prayer and religious songs at a time when students are allowed to study in groups, meet with teachers or in curricular clubs. After school officials banned such religious activity, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed suit last week in federal court.
The school district argues the time may not be spent on non-curricular activities, whether religious or non-religious. The lawsuit claims that is not the case. The Colorado Springs gazette reports:
“Students use this time for a whole slew of non-school-related purposes … associate with friends outside, in the cafeteria or in other open rooms to discuss virtually unlimited topics, i.e., TV shows, sports teams, upcoming tests, politics.”
…
“At no time . . . has there ever been any allegations that the meeting disrupted school activities,” the letter said.
School officials emphasize that the time in question is not free time, and that student-led prayer is allowed before and after the school’s instructional hours.
You can read the complaint here.
