Atheists bully an Illinois school district to cease staff participation in school gospel choir. “Wholly inappropriate for a public school to teach its students songs of Christian worship,”

One can’t help wonder what good would come if groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation would turn their attention from Christianity and focus on the fight to rid schools of drug use and sexual promiscuity among youth. Instead they continue their nationwide mission to remove Christ from everything and anything.

A recent case in Illinois forced a school district to stop allowing its staff members to be involved in a school gospel choir.

According to a press release on the FFRF website, it first contacted Oak Park and River Forest High School in December after a local community member informed the organization that there was a gospel choir at the school being led by the school’s outreach coordinator.

“It is wholly inappropriate for a public school to teach its students songs of Christian worship,” FFRF Legal Fellow Ryan Jayne wrote to Interim Superintendent Joylynn Pruitt-Adams. “It is well settled that public schools may not advance or endorse religion. Federal courts have used public school gospel choirs as an example of an obviously religious activity that the school may not endorse. The problem is not solved by making participation in the religious group voluntary.”

The school district replied the following month with the assertion that it was “reviewing measures which ensure alignment with the guidelines and limitations” of the law. The school district told FFRF that the gospel choir would be treated as a completely student-run club.

In the same press release FFRF expresses that they have no problem with the students putting together a gospel choir as extracurricular activity, but staff cannot be involved. However Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor could not end there, she went on to further emphasize the initial threat to the school district stating,

“We’re glad that the school district realized that it needs to tread carefully to avoid giving the appearance of official endorsement of such activity.”