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