School prayer meetings draw ACLU inquiry
SANTA CLARITA — A Newhall resident, incensed at the idea students would pray on public school property, has asked the William S. Hart Union High School District to monitor its open forum policy and at the same time has contacted the American Civil Liberties Union.
“I’m really angry,” said Nancy Vizcarra, who described herself as a “big supporter” of the separation of church and state. “I have no problem with religion, but school is for academics. Period.”
Vizcarra added that the clubs on campus should be only academic and the policy should revert back to a “closed” format.
The ACLU would neither confirm nor deny that Vizcarra contacted them and Carol Sobel, who usually handles such cases, was in court and unavailable for comment, a spokesman said.
As part of a nationwide event called “See You at the Pole,” local junior high and high school students gathered Wednesday at 7 a.m. at campus flagpoles for an early-morning prayer session. Students and pastors said the youth prayed for the good will of their peers as well as the faculty and the nation.
Despite the topic, and the everheated debate of religion in the classroom, the students were allowed to be engaging in prayer that morning, Hart district officials have said.
Under a policy most recently revised last year, the district provides a limited open forum. Student-initiated groups not sponsored by the school or district have the right to meet on school premises.
“We can’t restrict ... if they want to talk about religion, sports or anything else,” said Michael von Buelow, assistant superintendent in charge of personnel and pupil services.
Moreover, the policy states students may meet and use school facilities as long as district employees do not participate in the activity and the activity does not interfere with regular instruction.
“We do allow students to hold meetings of their interest as long as they’re not disruptive or dealing with topics that are unlawful,” Interim Superintendent Daniel Hanigan said in an earlier interview.
Von Buelow said the separation of church and state exists on campus at all times and that the district put into place only what the Board of Trustees established, after lengthy study and much community input.
“It’s not one of those things you’re going to please everyone on,” he said.
Despite the policy, Vizcarra simply does not want public school property used for prayer — even if they were praying for fellow students.
“Let them pray across the street in the park,” she said. “It’s not that I want to limit free speech. It’s just that people will take advantage. There needs to be some monitoring of the policy.”
Von Buelow said the only part of the policy that may have been broken is the requirement that nonaffiliated persons — including youth pastors, in this case — give one week’s notice to the principal.
“Other than that, they were legit,” he said.