We were discussing spanking on one of these two lists, and here's an
interesting article about it from the Columbus Dispatch.
High school substituting silence for Lord's Prayer
High school substituting silence for Lord's Prayer
New policy allows students quiet time, stays within the law
Sunday, February 19, 2006
MINERAL RIDGE, Ohio (AP) - A public high school that stopped opening the day
with a prayer recited over the public-address system has decided to let
students
pray silently if they wish.
"Many of the students have thanked us for this," Michael Hanshaw,
superintendent of the Weathersfield school district, said of the new policy
that started
last week at Mineral Ridge High School.
Until recently, the Lord's Prayer was recited over the public-address system
before the Pledge of Allegiance and morning announcements.
District officials stopped the practice after being questioned by The
Tribune Chronicle in Warren about whether the prayer violated the First
Amendment.
No student at the school, which enrolls about 300 students in this
northeastern Ohio community near Youngstown, was required to say the prayer
and none
had complained, Hanshaw has said.
Officials decided to grant students a moment for silent prayer, reflection
or meditation at the recommendation of district lawyers, who said those
practices
are allowed under Ohio law if they're done voluntarily.
No student is obligated to participate, Hanshaw said.
School board President Fred McCandless said the district had to follow state
and federal law.
"Our consensus was that we will, we shall, we must comply with the law," he
said.
Copyright 2003, The Columbus Dispatch
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