After a concerned parent contacted FFRF about religious promotion at a school in Mendenhall, Miss., action was taken to remedy the violation.
It was reported that the principal of Mendenhall Jr. High School used a recorded message before the start of the school year to invite district families to join him at the school for a prayer walk and to ask that everyone pray for the upcoming school year. The school also advertised the prayer walk event on its homepage. FFRF wrote to Simpson County School District on Aug. 31 to ensure that it did not allow its employees to organize or participate in future religious events in their roles as district representatives.
“Prayer walks unconstitutionally entangle school personnel with an exclusively religious message,” wrote FFRF Associate Counsel Sam Grover to Superintendent Greg Paes.
Paes responded on Feb. 28, informing FFRF that no plans would be made for religious events going forward nor would such events be posted on the school website.