Ohio School District Defying The Constitution Charges Atheist Group

A Wisconsin based atheist group, promoting separation of church and state, has filed a fourth complaint in two months against the Licking Valley School District in Ohio, charging them with violating the Constitution. The district has yet to respond to the complaints prompting the group, Freedom From Religion Foundation, to accuse them of defying Constitutional laws.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation filed their first complaint letter with the school district on Sept. 23, protesting the word “salvation” on the t-shirts worn by the school’s marching band. According to the Newark Advocate, the word was in reference to Pavel Tchesnokov’s 1912 composition, “Salvation is Created,” which was the band’s focal piece this past season. A second letter was sent just a week later on Sept. 30 alleging the football coach, Randy Baughman, participated in prayer prior to a game in 2013. Included with the letter was a photograph from Facebook showing the coaching staff bowing their heads as a student led the team in prayer. The prayer itself did not violate law but the coach’s participation did. A similar incident in Delaware was reported recently by the Inquisitr.

The Columbus Dispatch reports FFRF lawyer, Rebecca Mastert, said the group received a complaint from an unnamed source alleging “a youth pastor, Jeff Hawkins, is allowed access to the team players to ‘evangelize every Thursday after practice and every Friday before games.'” The source also alleges Hawkins has been the de facto chaplain since 1996 and claimed to have witnessed Hawkins addressing the team before a Nov. 7 game against Marysville in which he told the players, “The Lord is on our side,” and “mentions salvation at least once,” Markert said.

Markert said the Licking Valley School complaints have come from at least three different individuals, and the foundation has also gotten supportive letters from several others.

District Superintendent David Hile told the Columbus Dispatch he is unaware of anyone serving in an official or unofficial capacity as team chaplain but said he hasn’t had time to speak with Coach Baughman to discuss the matter.

“He’s a legendary football coach in the state of Ohio and he’s a good man,” said Hile. “He’s a Christian, no question about that, and he’s proud of it. But employees can’t participate in religious activities with students. It’s district policy. I don’t know that he violated that policy. We’ll have that conversation.”

Hile also said he notified the coaching staff of their violation of district policy prohibiting their participation in student led prayer after being made aware of the incident.

The frequent letters from FFRF are not frustrating to Hile. He finds the lack of communication in his community the biggest headache, reports the Newark Advocate. “I’m out in the community constantly,” said Hile. “If this person or persons have a problem, why didn’t they come to me? Why are they going to an organization in Wisconsin? That’s what I’m here for.”