On The Front Lines
Rutherford Institute Succeeds in Protecting Rights of Students, Teachers, Clergy to Participate in National See You at the Pole Day
Students, Educators and Community Members Gather to Pray Around the School FlagpoleCHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.--Attorneys for The Rutherford Institute have successfully protected the rights of students, teachers and clergy to promote and participate in their local See You at the Pole prayer gatherings. See You at the Pole is a student-initiated and student-led annual prayer gathering at local school flagpoles that began in Burleson, Tex., in 1990, and has since grown to be an international day of public student prayer, numbering some 2.5 million students in 2002.
In Kansas, The Rutherford Institute successfully defended the free speech and religious rights of a Fellowship of Christian Athletes student group to advertise the See You at the Pole event on school bulletin boards. School administrators had prohibited the student group from putting up posters, citing the posters' religious content. Institute legal staff informed an FCA representative that prohibiting the posters violated the students' rights to free speech, free expression and free exercise of religion as guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth Amendments. School officials relented and agreed to allow the FCA students to display their posters. In Shoreline, Wash., high school officials prohibited a student from distributing information about See You at the Pole. After Institute legal staff informed school officials of the student's rights, they quickly reversed their decision and allowed her to distribute the flyers. In Michigan, a high school teacher contacted The Rutherford Institute on behalf of a Christian student group that wanted to display See You at the Pole posters. After sharing information provided by The Rutherford Institute with the school officials, the posters were allowed to be displayed. In California, high school officials informed a youth pastor that he would not be allowed to attend See You at the Pole at their campus unless he underwent a tuberculosis test and criminal background check. After Institute legal staff pointed out that tuberculosis testing and criminal background checks are only mandatory for school employees and volunteers, school officials relented and allowed the youth pastor to attend the event. In Texas, school officials refused to allow high school teachers to attend the See You at the Pole rally. After being alerted to possible legal action by The Rutherford Institute if they prevented teachers from attending the prayer rally, school officials opted to respect the teachers' constitutional rights.
"It's good that school officials are realizing that students and teachers have the right to participate in See You at the Pole events," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. "These events are part of a long tradition of free and equal participation in expressive activities guaranteed by our Constitution."
The Rutherford Institute is an international, nonprofit civil liberties organization committed to defending constitutional and human rights.
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