For as far back as anyone can remember graduating seniors at Cosby High School have held a baccalaureate service. In recent years the service has been held at Northpoint Baptist Church in Newton, Tennessee.
The program included worship music and prayers and a message meant to inspire and challenge students as they enter the world.
But that will no longer happen thanks to a bunch of atheists from Wisconsin.
The school district has canceled the annual ceremony after the Freedom From Religion Foundation complained.
“It is well-settled law that public schools may not show favoritism toward nor coerce belief or participation in religion,” FFRF legal fellow Hirsh M. Joshi wrote to the district’s Director of Schools Manney Moore.
They say that celebrating graduation should be a secular moment. They also allege that schools may not promote or host religious gatherings. But the services are not against the law – and the school district should’ve consulted with legal counsel before booting Jesus.
“CCSS does plan to pay particular attention to instruct their employees to not be overly assertive with regard to their religious beliefs when acting in their official capacity as a government employee,” the legal counsel for the Cocke County School District said in a statement. “Further, CCSS plans to refrain from posting any announcement of a baccalaureate service on their official Facebook page or any other CCSS social media platform.”
The school district says they will no longer promote the baccalaureate service and they have also instructed employees not to be overly assertive with their religious beliefs.
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