Ohio’s City of Kirkland refers to itself as a city of “faith and beauty,” but a disagreement involving the First Amendment is currently going on in the city. Parents claim that Kirkland’s school district blurred the lines between church and state by endorsing religion inside the school’s athletic programs.
The Facts Behind the Case
Kirkland High School has a well-known football program. The school’s team, the Hornets, is becoming a top team throughout the area and has won countless state championships. The team is now receiving substantial criticism due to claims that the team relies on religious rituals.
One parent of a student who is on the team informed the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) that the team says both pregame and postgame prayers. The football coach was aware that prayer was occurring and was leading the team in prayer. The organization has also received photos depicting coaches and players from the team engaging in religious activity before playoff games.
The FFRF points out that retweeting religious messages on Kirkland’s sports-related Twitter page constitutes a government statement, even if the organization is only retweeting someone else’s message.
The Law Behind the Case
Following the United States Constitution, public schools can neither endorse nor promote religious activity in any way. Additionally, teachers and public school coaches are considered government actors and cannot engage in any type of religious behavior in their official role.
The Letter Sent to Kirkland School District
A letter sent by the organization to Kirtland states that the head coach leads the team in pregame prayer and also refers to a football pep rally in which a priest conducted a sermon and led a prayer. While any one of these facts would be an issue, taken together, this creates a serious issue of constitutional violations.
The letter cites the Mormon community that has called Kirtland its headquarters for several years. Even in towns like this, though, the FFRF claims that religious activity must stay out of government activity. The letter also explains the alienating effect that government actors who endorse one religion over another can have on atheists, agnostics, and people who do not practice the endorsed religion.
Commentary About the Heated Legal Matter
The FFRF has commented that an adjacent school district has already spoken to coaches to make sure these issues do not occur again. They are still waiting on a formal response on the matter by Kirkland.
In a published statement, Kirkland commented that it takes its legal obligations seriously under the First Amendment. In this vein, the District complies with requirements listed in the Establishment Clause and declines to adopt any policies regarding the promotion of religion.
The Goal of the Universal Life Church’s Blog
The establishment clause as well as other fundamentals about the required separation between church and state originates with the role of the United States constitution. Each week, the Universal Life Church’s blog focuses on documenting the most noteworthy cases that question these fundamentals. Our blog strives to describe matters in a way that considers both opposing sides and that can be easily understood by readers.