praying in school

No, I never went to public school, I went to a religious private school, which is what people who want their children to have a religious education ought do. ( I do believe that those schools should receive partial funding to cover the non-religious based costs, or at the very least make tuition payments tax deductible, but that's another story. I'd love to debate it if anyone is interested.) I don't know what actually goes on in public schools, but I do know what the law says. & I doubt that the school system is violating these laws, as the religious people would never let them get away with it. If you feel that your rights or the rights of others as prescribed by U.S. law have been violated, you are encouraged to contact your local law enforcement agencies, attorney general, lawyer, mayor, governor, congressman, senator, etc. There are some general misconceptions regarding the legality of prayer in school. Thankfully the Anti-defamation league comes to the rescue. The following are excerpts from http://www.adl.org... The whole thing would not have fit, & much of it not necessary for our topic. You may see the whole thing at the above link, if you so desire. "General Rule: Organized prayer in the public school setting, whether in the classroom or at a school-sponsored event, is unconstitutional. The only type of prayer that is constitutionally permissible is private, voluntary student prayer that does not interfere with the school's educational mission. Indeed, teachers may have their free speech and free exercise rights to speak about religious matters and otherwise say prayers in the presence of students abridged in an effort to ensure that there is no appearance that the school is violating the Establishment Clause. Because teachers hold such a special status in the school and are viewed as government officials speaking to a group that is both a captive audience and extremely impressionable, religious speech by teachers or other school personnel will be seen as a state endorsement of religion. 20 The Supreme Court has said that "the interest of the State in avoiding an Establishment Clause violation 'may be [a] compelling' one justifying an abridgement of free speech otherwise protected by the First Amendment... ." 21 Fourth-grader Prayer and Religious Discussion at Recess Every day at recess, Jessica Lewis, a fourth-grade student, sits under a tree in the schoolyard, recites prayers, and engages her classmates in discussions of a religious nature. The recess monitor, unsure of whether Jessica's activities violate the school's prohibition against classroom prayer, alerts school officials who forbid Jessica's recess prayers and discussions. Jessica's mother threatens to sue the school officials, claiming that their interference with her daughter's activities was unconstitutional. Does Mrs. Lewis have a valid claim? How should the school respond? The school should allow Jessica Lewis to engage in prayer and religious discussions with her classmates during recess provided that her activity is not disruptive and does not coerce or otherwise infringe upon the rights of other students. Help support our work by sending your tax deductible gift to: ADL, 605 Third Ave., New York, NY 10158, Attn: Development. To speak to an ADL professional about giving opportunities Please call 866-FUND-ADL or 866-386-3235 We thank you for your support " 2013 Anti-Defamation League. All rights reserved. The Anti-Defamation League is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3)." The reader is invited to read it in it's entirety at: http://www.adl.org... Again: If you feel that your rights or the rights of others as prescribed by U.S. law have been violated, you are encouraged to contact your local law enforcement agencies, attorney general, lawyer, mayor, governor, congressman, senator, etc.