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Religion has no place in a public school

A public school coach leading his team in prayers at a school activity cannot be assumed to be voluntary for the students. With the uneven balance of authority, pressure even duress is implicit. Players follow their coach. While peer pressure on students is intense, coach authority, teacher authority is more so.

In the late 1950s my public school day at George Washington Elementary started with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the "Lord's Prayer." Later my public Eber Baker junior high conducted weekly "non-denominational" Protestant Christian religion classes. My parents wrote the required excuse for me, a Jewish child, to not participate. A couple of Catholic students and I were taken to a separate school room to do homework. I had no wish to participate in the indoctrination. It was also very discomforting to be singled out. I often had stomach aches on those religion class days.

I heard with deep distress the June 27, 2022, Supreme Court decision on Kennedy v. Bremerton School District that enables leading religious practices in public schools.

Our constitutions First Amendment protects us from the government establishing religion. The only proper place for prayer in a public school is an individual's voluntary and silent expressions a moment of silence.

Beth Babich, Marion

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Letter to the Editor: Religion, public schools and the Supreme Court - Marion Star