A school district in Indiana has agreed to no longer include prayer during its kindergarten graduation ceremonies after receiving a letter from a prominent professing atheist organization. The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter last month to Tony Whitaker, the superintendent of Springs Valley Community Schools, upon receiving a complaint from a parent, who it did not identify.
The parent had advised that the May graduation ceremony for Springs Valley Elementary School students included a prayer by a five or six-year-old student. “Including religious rituals, such as prayer, in school-sponsored functions shows school endorsement of religion, which violates the Establishment Clause to the U.S. Constitution,” FFRF attorney Ryan Jayne wrote. READ MORE
