Written by Don Byrd
A school district near Detroit has ended the practice of coach involvement in pre-game prayers before high school football games. Following an ACLU complaint, the coach apologized and the Bloomfield Hills school officials sought to clarify the policy does not mean prayer has been banned at the school.
The Detroit Free-Press has more:
[Spokeswoman Shira] Good said students are and have always been welcome to pray on their own time without disrupting the school day. She stressed that the district has not banned prayer in schools.
“Our students should feel comfortable in their environment and we respect their freedom to pray or not pray,” Glass, the superintendent, said in an e-mail. “However, Bloomfield Hills Schools is a public school district and therefore, prayer must be conducted so as not to conflict with instruction time, other students, or school sponsored activities.”
Students who want to pray on their own before, after, or for that matter during a game are perfectly free to do so according to their conscience. Once a school authority figure appears to lead, encourage, or otherwise approve of the prayers, however, he risks making students feel coerced into participating.
