First Amendment concerns raised in aftermath of in-service day event, Jackson-Madison Co. schools

First Amendment freedoms were under fire by community members and a nonprofit group when a scheduled in-service meeting for teachers and staff of the Jackson-Madison County School System included prayer and a worship song.

The event left some questioning its constitutionality.

In preparation for the school year's commencement on Aug. 5 and per public school law in Tennessee, JMCSS teachers attended five consecutive, mandatory in-service days, intended for training and administrative purposes.

On July 30, the second day of the in-service week, teachers and staff gathered at an auditorium where they were led in prayer and song. In a video posted to the school district's social media, the crowd is singing harmoniously to the tune of the Christian song, "Goodness of God" by CeCe Winans.

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Some teachers shared the video in support of the devotional service to their accounts with captions like "we had church today" and that it was "such an uplifting part of our opening session."

Prompting concerns over taxpayer dollars being used to fund religion in public education, nonprofit group Freedom From Religion Foundation said the constitutionality of the event has blurred the lines between the separation of church and state.

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Freedom of religion concerns

On August 1, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a complaint letter to JMCSS Superintendent Marlon King and Deputy Superintendents Vivian Williams and Ricky Catlett.

Hirsh Joshi, a Patrick O'Reiley Legal Fellow with FFRF, constructed the letter, touting the violation of the religious rights of attendees.

FFRF is a national watchdog organization incorporated in 1978, which strives to promote the separation of church and state, while supporting non-theists, or atheists, agnostics and "skeptics of any pedigree ."

The Wisconsin-based nonprofit was made aware of the event by members of the JMCSS community, who continue to send complaints to FFRF.

The letter from FFRF alleges that the district "fell short" in its obligation to maintain neutrality in the realm of religion. The complaint accentuates that "the district serves and employs a diverse population with diverse religious beliefs, including Jews, Muslims, atheists and agnostics."

"This letter is really just a reminder that in the name of inclusion, well, the non-religious are part of that. We're part of those that need to be included and having an official worship ceremony doesn't really accomplish that at all," Joshi said.

FFRF argues that the prayer and worship song during the event violates freedom of religion, one of the rights outlined in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, in tandem with Article 1, Section 3 of the Tennessee Constitution.

The Tennessee Establishment Clause set a precedent of freedom of religion in a stricter model than that of the U.S. Constitution, determining that "no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishment or mode of worship."

Founded in 1796, this pillar has remained steadfast and unchanged since.

Most recently, FFRF represented The Satanic Temple in a religious freedom suit against the Shelby County Board of Education that resulted in a March settlement of almost $15,000.

With a final call to action, the letter urged a response from the district outlining steps it will take to remain neutral and avoid any constitutional violations in the future.

"Here, we understand that Dr. King is only human, he can't rewrite the past. The event happened, so I think what we would want, particularly for a superintendent who usually has a long tenure, are just ensurances that this won't happen again. An apology would go a long way, but again, an apology can't fix anything in the sense that it can't rewrite history, but I think if Dr. King and anyone at the school were to give us assurances that at next year's in-service this won't happen again, I think that would pretty much resolve our issues with the district," Joshi said.

Focus on religious inadvertent

In a statement to the Jackson Sun on August 6, King assured that the infringement on the religious rights of attendees was inadvertent.

"Please know that it was never our intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or to impose any religious beliefs. I deeply respect all religions and the diverse beliefs of our community. Our goal was to inspire and unite our staff, not to promote any specific religious practice. Moving forward, I will ensure that all professional development activities strictly adhere to the guidelines that respect the religious freedoms of all participants. I value open communication and am always willing to listen and make necessary adjustments to uphold our commitment to respect and inclusivity."

King issued the same statement in response to FFRF, which has since closed the complaint file as a result.

Sarah Best is a reporter for The Jackson Sun. To support local journalism, subscribe to the Daily Briefing here

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: First Amendment concerns raised in aftermath of in-service day event, Jackson-Madison Co. schools