Christianity Endorsement in Public School System

        Smith County, Tennessee is made up of a diverse community of individuals who identify with many different religions, such as Christianity, Muslim, and even those who identify as atheist.  The Smith County High School and Middle School in Carthage, Tennessee are being accused of promoting and endorsing Christian religious beliefs on their properties through school-sponsored religious activities, and conveying religious messages to their students for many years.  These activities include school-sponsored prayer at athletic and school events; the use of religious symbols on the walls of the school’s building, and teachers pushing their Christian faith onto their students.  The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and the American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of two families close to the schools, filed a federal lawsuit challenging the promotion of religion by the Smith County School System.  This case is called Butler v Smith County.

Kelly Butler is the father of two children who attend the high school in Carthage, Tennessee.  Mr. Butler is a U.S. Army veteran who believes strongly in the constitutional freedoms he fought to defend during service, and one of those freedoms he expresses is the right to decide for himself what faith, if any, he is going to follow and promote to his children.  Mr. Butler and his two children are atheist, and they feel “shunned” and “unwelcome” in the Smith County School System community because they don’t share the beliefs of the school and oppose their religious activities.  After sharing his concerns with the school board, he was ignored.  Butler also speaks on behalf of his friends Sharona Carr and Jason Carr, parents of children within the school system who are atheists as well. 

The schools are being accused of school-sponsored prayer.  This included prayer in school-day assemblies, athletic events, and graduation ceremonies.  During such events, the prayer-giver, who is a student, will ask the students and staff to bow their heads and pray.  The Board of Education has a moment-of silence policy that has the principle make an announcement each morning telling the students to take a moment of silence and tells the teaches to take no other action during this silent period.  Along with in school prayer, every Smith County High School home football game begins with a Christian prayer delivered over the public-address system.  A group was also brought into the middle school to distribute Bibles to anyone who wanted one.  Along with the distribution of Bibles, Bibles are presented all around the school with no secular reason.  Lastly, Christian symbols are present, such as a giant Latin cross saying “In God We Trust,” and scripture written on the hallway walls.

The First Amendment of the Constitution clearly states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”  This was created to give citizens their freedom of religion and to protect themselves from government endorsement of any particular religion.  The problem here with Butler v Smith County is that is seems the Smith County School System is completely endorsing the Christian religion.  If a teacher promotes religion at a public school, this is considered government endorsement of a religion because that school is publicly funded and the teachers are paid by the state.  There are similar cases that have dealt with issues of establishment of religion in schools.  One in particular is Santa Fe Independent School District v Doe (2000).  This case dealt with elected student chaplains from a school publicly giving prayer over the address system before each home football game.  This was decided in court as being unconstitutional because the student was given permission from the school to give prayer publicly on public property.  Although the games were not mandatory for fans, they were however mandatory for players, coaches, and others working the game.  These individuals that were forced to be there were coerced to part take and listen to the Christian prayer.  This is similar to Butler v Smith County where the school is allowing students to give public prayer during school events on school property.

I believe the Smith County School System is violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by their endorsement of Christianity.  There are no secular purposes for providing prayer at school events, and although the prayer is student led, it is encouraged by the school and given on school property, which is government funded.  The Establishment Clause allows people like Kelly Butler and his children to be in public spaces without feeling “shunned” or “unwelcome” simply because of their religious belief or lack thereof.  Whenever students are asked to bow their heads and pray, regardless if they are told they must or if it is voluntary, there is coercion involved.  These students, the staff members, and individuals attending the school functioned events are coerced to participate in Christian prayer, which is a clear violation of the Establishment Clause.  Just as Santa Fe Independent School District v Doe was decided as unconstitutional, I believe this will have the same result.