Limited Religious Expression Allowed on School Property by Students and Employees
While the elected Greenville County School Board was busy raising taxes and voting themselves pay raises, teachers were being instructed as to when, where and how they may pray. When schools opened last week, there was confusion, frustration and many unanswered questions.
All or some teachers and administrators were given a Power Point presentation describing in great detail how their religious practices would be regulated when acting in the capacity of a school employee.
Some teachers understood that they could continue to pray before a meal if they did it briefly, silently and did not allow a student to see their lips moving as if actually praying.
Some teachers understood that religious jewelry or symbols on clothing would be essentially banned. Coaches could no longer pray with athletes before games. If the students pray, the coaches must stand away from them and not appear to be praying. Teachers could not tell students where they attend church. Bibles will be permitted on school property but must not be left where they can be seen by students.
For some mysterious reason, no one was allowed to have a copy of the power point presentation graphics, raising questions as to the origin of the presentation and motivation for it’s enforcement.
In the past, Greenville County Schools have demonstrated tolerance in restricting freedom of worship.
By the second day of school, the District Superintendent found it necessary to have the District’s General Counsel Doug Webb draft a two-page “Guide for Religious Expression” that was distributed to District employees by Director of Communications Oby Lyles. The Webb-Lyles Religious Expression Guide contains about a dozen questions and answers.
With regard to prayer, the guide is somewhat murky and subject to interpretation.
During the minute of mandatory silence at the beginning of the school day, “students may choose to pray silently or not to pray.”
Students may pray before a meal as long as it is “not disruptive or harassing of other students.”
Employees may express their religious beliefs “to the extent that their expression does not endorse or promote religion or express hostility toward religion.”
“Teachers may pray silently during the moment of silence at the beginning of each school day or pray silently before having a meal.”
“Employees may wear personal clothing with religious symbols as long as wearing those personal items does not cause disruption to the school environment and/or is not used by an employee to promote religion to students. Bibles and other religious literature may be kept at work. However, these items should not be displayed in a manner that would constitute promotion of religion.”
The policy as written will discourage Christian teachers from Wearing jewelry with Christian symbols. Any individual can accuse an employee of promoting their Christianity at any time, and the employee is automatically in violation of school policy.
Observers warn that with worldwide attacks on Christians, and hardly a word of protest from the organized church in America, it is not surprising that a sustained attack on Christianity will occur in what was once known as the buckle of the Bible Belt.