A CIRCLE OF PRAYER
Hundreds join Ashdown, Malvern football players in
Afootball game was played between Ashdown and Malvern, Ark., high schools but a spirit through prayer was displayed when about 400 people walked to the 50-yard line and prayed under the Friday night lights.
Players from both teams kneeled together on the field and were joined by fans for both teams and football officials. A similar vigil occurred Oct. 2 when Ashdown and Bauxite teams prayed together at Dick Hays Stadium in Ashdown.
Austin Cross, 17, a senior at Ashdown High School, offered the prayer before the football game.
The audience moved to midfield for the prayer, then leaned over holding hands or patting each other on their backs. Some cried and wiped their noses. When Austin finished the prayer, a uniformed “Amen” was said by the audience, then the crowd dispersed to get ready for kickoff.
It was required that the prayer be student-led because a complaint had been issued about prayers before school-sponsored events. Ashdown School District was admonished by the Freedom From Religion Foundation of Madison, Wis.
The sky was like something from a painting, a backdrop for the American flying at the north side of the field. The air was cool with a few sprinkles of rain. It was good football weather. Pale blue, fluffy clouds moved overhead, and golden rays of the sun occasionally came through from the west.
The Bauxite and Malvern football games were described as goosebump moments.
“It was a goosebump moment to watch when people gathered at the 50-yard line. It’s powerful to see the spirit of the community. The students are becoming a role model for us. I’m very proud to be a part of the Ashdown community,” said the Rev. Jim Cross of Ashdown First United Methodist Church about the prayer before the Oct. 2 Ashdown-Bauxite game.
Austin Cross, the minister’s son, offered the prayers at both football games.
“This is everything I ever believed. This was my chance to take a stand for what I believe. As a student, I have a right to do stuff. It’s just how I’ve been raised. It is time to stand up and step up to the plate and deliver,” Austin said.
The prayer was spontaneous last week, because no one would step up and offer one, Austin said.
“Friday before the game, I heard we weren’t going to have a prayer. I didn’t have much time to think, I just went on instincts, and I was glad I did. It was just something deep down inside. Prayer is everything and unbelievable. It can be a miracle. It can be unbelievable to see in Ashdown, Ark.
“I had chill bumps when people went to the 50-yard line. We were living in the moment and seizing the moment,” Austin said.
After fans returned to their seats, some went to drink coffee or a pumpkin nut latte at the student-operated Serenity Cafe across the parking lot from the football field.
With the letter from the Wisconsin group admonishing Ashdown for the prayer, business teacher Shauna Tipton said the students’ business was appropriately called Serenity Cafe. People were ordering a variety of coffee drinks and not talking about the issue of prayer.
The trouble started after a complaint was filed with the foundation against the district.
Freedom From Religion wrote a letter to the school district about the high school band director’s leading students in prayer, including school-sponsored prayer at the football games.
“The district has a duty to remain neutral towards religion and ensure that its teachers and staff are not promoting religion to students. These practices are not only illegal, they turn students who do not share the religious beliefs of the teacher into outsiders,” said Elizabeth Cavell, foundation staff attorney.
She said a complaint was filed by a “concerned student.”
According to the attorney, the band director reportedly led a Christian prayer before every band marching band show or competition and often led students in the Lord’s Prayer.
“Our complainant informs us these prayers make many of the band members uncomfortable and that they feel pressured to participate in these prayers for fear of being scorned by the band director,” Cavell said, adding that the band director brings religious people to speak to band members, including a local pastor. “They distributed cards that read, ‘Nothing is impossible with God.’”
“We understand the band director is not the only member of Ashdown High School’s faculty that is promoting his religious views to students. Our complainant informs us that Ashdown High School begins each football game with a prayer. These prayers are often offered by the football coaches or by invited religious leaders,” Cavell said in the letter, adding that the prayers “are given into a microphone and played over the loudspeakers.”
The letter outlined court cases in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to restrict public school teachers from leading students in prayer, encouraging students to pray, participating in student-initiated prayer or otherwise endorsing religion to students.
The foundation is a national organization with an estimated 22,500 members whose “purpose is to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church,” according to Cavell.
“Ashdown District Schools must make certain that none of its employees are unlawfully and inappropriately indoctrinating students in religious matters by leading prayer, encouraging them to pray, or setting aside time for prayer. We ask that the district immediately investigate and ensure that the (band director) complies with the establishment clause. Ashdown District Schools must also take immediate action to end the practice of scheduling prayer at school-sponsored events and the use of district equipment to project prayers to the public. Please inform us in writing of the steps the district is taking to remedy these serious violations of the First Amendment,” Cavell said.
District Superintendent Jason Sanders replied to the organization in a letter.
“As a public educational institution, we have great respect for our Constitution and try to follow current law and precedent. In this area of the law, it takes some diligence to keep up with the decisions and the fine lines and distinctions the various circuit courts have drawn when examining this issue,” Sanders said.
“We have addressed our personnel, and specifically the teacher you mentioned in your letter, to ensure everyone has knowledge of the limitations placed on sharing personal religious views with students,” Sanders said. “We have also reinforced with our personnel that this same amendment protects the rights of students to religious freedom and expression, and institutional limitations do not extend to voluntary, student-initiated, student-led expression of faith, which we will continue to allow.”
Sanders said the district has decided to use a “religion-neutral” moment of silence to open school events instead of prayer.
“We were pleased to see that Superintendent Sanders appears to agree that these violations had to stop,” Cavell said.
Sanders consulted the Alliance for Defending Freedom for advice. He said district officials “feel like the freedom of our students to express themselves will hold up in a court of law.”
“We are not going to stop any student who wants to exercise their freedom of religious expression, such as a prayer,” he said.