Superintendent Tells Student To Stop Praying Before Lunch


A superintendent allegedly tells a student to stop praying before lunch, which is against what the girl was taught by her parents. In a story out of Mora, New Mexico, CBS Local reports that Patrick Ashe claims his daughter was ordered not to say any more prayers before a meal in school.

The high school sophomore is a member of a Catholic family and they’ve been taught that praying before a meal is important. Ashe says his daughter informed him that the school’s superintendent told her last week that she couldn’t pray anymore at lunch.

Dora Romero is the Mora Independent School District Superintendent who allegedly told the girl to stop doing it. Ashe speaks with KOAT News about the incident in question.

“[She] came home from school and she said, ‘Dad, I have something to tell you. Today for lunch right before I was going to eat, I bowed my head to pray, and the superintendent came up to me and said I couldn’t do that. I asked her if she was praying out loud and she said, ‘No, I was praying to myself, I wasn’t even speaking.'”

Romero claims she never told the girl to stop praying before lunch. The school is investigating the allegations.

It’s important to Ashe that his daughter be comfortable praying wherever she needs to when it comes to school or with anything she’s seeking guidance for.

“I just ask she could pray before a meal, before a test, or if she’s struggling with anything at school,” Ashe says. “I just want her to be able to pray at her own will.”

The student’s father adds that being thankful for food is a big deal in practicing their faith. The family says grace every night before eating dinner.

“It’s just very important to me to thank God for putting food on your table and for leading you through life,” Ashe says.

A lot of controversy surrounds religion, politics, and school. The Pledge of Allegiance is another hot topic issue when it comes to what school students do in classroom settings. The Inquisitr has reported on the criticism it draws since “God” is mentioned in it. A student was suspended for not standing up with the other students during the Pledge of Allegiance.

Saying prayers before a meal is standard practice for worshippers, but many tend to disagree for various reasons when it has to do with sharing a public setting.

[Image via KOAT News]

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