On The Front Lines
Teaching Schools the ABC's of the Constitution in the Classroom
Rutherford Institute Issues Religious Expression Guidelines to 15,000 Public School SuperintendentsCHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The Rutherford Institute has launched its annual "ABC's of the Constitution in the Classroom" campaign, a national effort to educate students, parents, teachers and school administrators about how to uphold the U.S. Constitution in the public schools. As part of the campaign, John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, sent a detailed legal memorandum to each of the more than 15,000 public school superintendents across the United States to educate them about the Department of Education's "Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools" and warn them against censoring student religious expression. Whitehead has also promised to send a free pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution to anyone, student or adult, who requests one. The Rutherford Institute's legal memorandum to public school superintendents is available here (PDF), in addition to articles that focus on different aspects of students' and teachers' rights, including "The Rights of Religious Student Groups in Public Schools," "Student Free Speech and Literature Distribution," "Teacher's Rights in Public Education," and "Zero-Tolerance and Student Searches."
"School districts have an affirmative obligation to understand and respect the rights of all their students, including religious students. The Rutherford Institute recognizes that most public school officials strive to do this," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. "We hope that this campaign will remind public school superintendents of their obligation to respect the constitutional rights of free expression of all schoolchildren, including those wishing to freely exercise their religion. However, where they fail to live up to their constitutional responsibility, The Rutherford Institute and its attorneys are ready and willing to assist students and their families in securing their rights through the legal system."
According to Whitehead, The Rutherford Institute has continued to see increased censorship of student religious expression by public school administrators. For example, a high school district in Punxsutawney, Penn., refused to allow a Bible club to meet during the same non-instructional period as other student-led clubs, citing concerns over the separation of church and state. In Morrisville, N.C., school officials removed tiles from the school's Senior Tile Project that students had inscribed with religious messages. In Shoreline, Wash., a student-led Bible study group was denied the same access to the school's bulletin boards, public address system, yearbook and student group funding that was given to other non-curricular student groups.
Founded in 1982 by constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead, The Rutherford Institute is a civil liberties organization that provides legal services at no charge to people whose constitutional rights have been threatened or violated. The Institute has emerged as one of the nation's leading advocates of civil liberties and human rights, litigating in the courts and educating the public on a wide spectrum of issues affecting individual freedom in the United States and around the world.
Related links:
Sign-up to receive The Rutherford Institute's Insider Report E-newsletter!
Sign-up to receive John W. Whitehead's Weekly Column today!
Sound Off! Tell us what you think about this news story!
Get your free copy of the Bill of Rights!
Support the Fight! Give Today!
Rutherford News Archives
Recent Victories!
The Rutherford Institute
|
