School district bans coach from joining football team in prayer following complaint from secularist group

A school district in Georgia has prohibited a high school football coach from participating in a student-led prayer following a complaint from a prominent secularist group.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a complaint letter to Coweta County School System on Oct. 25, after it was informed by a local community member that football coach John Small had been regularly praying with the East Coweta High School football team.

In the letter, the secularist organization warned that it is illegal for public school athletic coaches further their personal beliefs by leading teams in prayer, adding that the act equates to a government advancement and endorsement of religion.

"Coach Small's conduct is unconstitutional because he endorses and promotes his religion when acting in his official capacity as a school district employee," FFRF Legal Fellow Christopher Line argued in the letter to Superintendent Steve Barker.

Line also sent a picture of Small engaging his team in prayer, but it was not made clear when the picture was taken.

After receiving the complaint, the Coweta County School System released a formal guidance on "prayer in school," informing district employees that they are not allowed to join students in prayer.

"Representatives of the school cannot participate in any student initiated/student led prayer or worship while acting in their official capacity," the legal memorandum released on Monday reads.

The memo, written by Coweta school board attorney Nathan Lee, stressed that teachers, coaches, and other staff members are not allowed to "join hands, bow their heads, take a knee" or demonstrate other acts that can be perceived as a government endorsement of religion even if the prayers are student-led.

"Nevertheless, nothing compels an employee to make their non-participation vehemently obvious or to leave or flee the religious observance or prayer. Additionally, an employee is allowed to have supervisory or custodial role in student initiated and run organizations, so long that it is clear that role is custodial," the memo noted.

Dean Jackson, a spokesperson for the school system, told The Christian Post on Monday that Barker had asked the school board attorney to provide legal guidance on the matter after receiving the FFRF's letter.

On Friday, Barker met with the principals of three district high schools to inform them about the guideline on prayer. The memo written by Lee was then sent to the principals of all the other schools n the district on Monday.

The FFRF claimed victory when it was announced that Barker had told district employees that they are no longer allowed to take part in prayers or other religious activity.

"We appreciate the district's swift action to address the violation and its commitment to protecting the rights of conscience for all of its students," FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said in a statement.