Written by Don Byrd
Earlier this month, I wrote about a rather stunning news story, in which a mass baptism that involved coaches and students took place *on the football field of a public high school* prior to practice. A letter of complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation brought public scrutiny about the church-state implications of using school property and an impending mandatory football practice as the setting for a religious sacrament.
Now, Carroll County school officials have confirmed that the event violated school policy.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:
Villa Rica High School and its principal should not have allowed a local church to perform on-field baptisms at its football stadium last month, a Carroll County School System investigation concluded.
…
[Assistant Superintendent Terry] Jones’ statement said the school district “had no knowledge that this event was scheduled to happen at VRHS.”
“The principal’s understanding was that the event was a church sponsored activity that was to be conducted after school and he was not aware of student involvement,” the statement said. “From the investigation the school district has concluded that VRHS failed to follow district facility usages procedures for outside groups using school facilities.”
Reuters reports that FFRF called the baptisms “one of the most egregious entanglements of church and state that we’ve seen.”
Also see the Baptist Joint Committee’s resource page on religion and public schools.
