Written by Don Byrd
Florida’s Orange County Schools is considering a change in policy regarding the distribution of literature in public schools. Earlier this year, a group calling itself The Satanic Temple sought to include a coloring book alongside religious materials from other outside groups distributed to students. Now, the School District may cease the distribution of all religious materials.
As the Christian Science Monitor reports, that decision may not sit well with either side:
That decision – which the school board can’t officially make until late January or early February – indicates that the OCPS is acting in bad faith, Doug Mesner, co-founder and spokesman for The Satanic Temple, told the Sentinel.
“It strongly implies they never intended to have a plurality of voices,” said Mr. Mesner, who also goes by the pseudonym Lucien Greaves.
At least one Christian group is similarly displeased.
“They seem to be moving against the interests of a large part of the community,” Evangelical World Changers Vice President Greg Harper, told the Sentinel. “The Bible will open somebody’s heart, somebody’s mind, and cause them to pursue answers.”
Public schools should not be used by officials to promote one religious viewpoint over another. At the same time, students should not be used as the battleground for culture war jousting between outside groups, or exploited as a means of criticizing school policy. Here’s hoping the grownups in Orange County can develop a policy that respects both the law and the students.
