Discussion - Prayer in School
After completing this week's readings, consider the following scenario:
It is lunch time in your school. The fifth and sixth grades have just sat down to eat. One of the sixth-grade girls comes to your office to report the fact that one of her friends just bowed her head and said a prayer at the table, which offended her.
What will be your response to this situation in light of what you know about students and their practicing religion at school? Cite a law case to support your decision.
Remember, that parents could get involved in this type of situation, and it is important for you to know the rights of students and your rights as an administrator.
One of the more recent Supreme Court Cases, Lee v. Weisman (1992), addressed prayer at public school assemblies. The courts have given us legal guidelines whereby we can address religion in our schools. We will spend some time looking at those this week. You can read about the Weisman case at these two links:
Lee v. Weisman (from Find Law for Legal Professionals)
Lee v. Weisman (from First Amendment Center)