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SPOTLIGHT ISSUE: ACLU-TN Wins Judicial Victory for Religious Freedom in Tennessee

Preferential Treatment of Praying Parents is Ruled Unconstitutional

After a two-year legal battle, ACLU-TN has successfully litigated a case that further protects the religious freedom of Tennesseans.

The ACLU-TN lawsuit, Doe v. Wilson County School System, was filed on behalf of a former Lakeview kindergarten student and his parents, who said their attempts to have school officials cease the religious activities on campus were rebuffed. The family also says school officials encouraged them to withdraw their child from the school.

The lawsuit charged that a variety of religious activities occurring at Lakeview Elementary School in Mt. Juliet, including praying during school hours by a group of parents who then distributed fliers in classrooms informing individual students they had been prayed for, were unconstitutional.

“In a strongly worded 59-page decision, the Judge ruled that school officials were engaged in a systematic pattern of religious violations and that the school supported and tolerated religious activities taking place on its campus,” said Hedy Weinberg, ACLU-TN Executive Director.

In finding that these activities violated the First Amendment, the Court found that

the effect of the [The Praying Parents] predominant religious purpose was to advance Christianity at Lakeview…..The school administration apparently agreed with the group’s purpose and activities and did not properly monitor and supervise their activities on school property, and, by allowing these activities, the school tacitly or overtly endorsed the group’s activities. By doing so the school became excessively entangled with the group’s religious activities, and abandoned the school’s constitutional obligation to maintain strict neutrality toward religion.

The Court issued an injunction preventing any group from being given preferential treatment and ordering that all individuals and groups requesting access to the school request permission and be treated equally. The Court also admonished the school for allowing teachers and administrators to be active participants in religious activities at the school, for displaying the Ten Commandments in the school hallway and for allowing the distribution of Gideon’s Bibles to students.

According to Weinberg, “The decision makes it very clear that private groups like the Praying Parents cannot and should not serve as surrogates for the public schools and promote religious activities during the school day,” said Weinberg.

Upon hearing about the Court ruling, the Does issued a statement saying, “We are very happy about the decision and grateful to all those people who stood with us. We hope this begins a time of healing for the community.”

Additional Information About Doe v. Wilson County School System

View the press release about this case.

View Judge Echols' decision.