Tennesseean – A pair of atheist families are suing a Middle Tennessee school district in federal court, claiming officials there promote Christianity. The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Nashville by the American Civil Liberties Union, claims Smith County school officials engage in unconstitutional practices including school-sponsored prayer during assemblies and Bible distribution during classes.
The ACLU filed suit on behalf of plaintiffs Kelly Butler, Jason Carr and Sharona Carr on behalf of their children and names the following defendants: the Smith County Board of Education, Smith County Director of Schools Barry Smith, Smith County Middle School Principal Kelly Bell and Smith County High School Principal Dusty Whitaker.
“Christian, Muslim, and atheist students, among others, attend Smith County High School and Smith County Middle School in the Smith County School System. But that matters little to school officials,” the 21-page suit reads. “For years, they have routinely promoted and inculcated Christian religious beliefs by sponsoring religious activities and conveying religious messages to students at these two schools.” READ MORE
