An Indianapolis-area school has taken action after a national advocacy group argued a teacher-led Bible study program violated students’ First Amendment rights.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national nonprofit promoting the separation of church and state, claims an apparently teacher-led club at Mooresville High School was a violation of the First Amendment and the Equal Access Act.
Religious clubs are allowed in public schools under certain parameters. Under constitutional case law, students must initiate and lead such clubs, and staff are limited to a non-participatory supervisory role. Participation must also be voluntary. Schools are required to treat all student clubs equally, regardless of political or religious affiliation, meaning they can enforce behavioral and safety rules.
In a Facebook post, choir teacher Jason Damron said he was starting a BetterMan study for about 40 young men on Friday mornings at Mooresville High School. He then asked people to donate money or food to provide breakfast for the students.
“It has changed my life,” he said in the November post. “God has opened several doors for me at the high school, and I am excited to be able to lead these young men in hopes that it can change the culture of our school.”
BetterMan is an 11-week group Bible study program centered on “the essentials of biblical manhood and how men can live it out at home, at work, with friends, and with God,” according to its website. The program includes live and video teachings and group discussions.
The BetterMan mission is built on the idea that men don’t have a clear definition of manhood and need a framework based on the Bible. The website also emphasizes the need for multigenerational conversations, saying, “Younger men need older, wiser men to help them on this journey.”
In a letter to school Superintendent Jacob Allen, the foundation’s staff attorney, Madeline Ziegler, asked the district to immediately investigate whether its staff members are unconstitutionally sponsoring religious activities.
“Mooresville Schools has violated the trust that parents place in District staff to follow the Constitution and refrain from imposing their own religious beliefs on the children they teach,” the letter said.
Allen responded to the foundation, saying leaders met with Damron and provided clear direction on the constitutional limitations on employee involvement in students’ religious activities, according to a news release from the organization.
“Mooresville Schools supports students’ rights to participate in voluntary, student-led activities as allowed by law,” a school spokesperson said in a statement to IndyStar. “At the same time, school employees must be mindful of the boundaries that apply to their role when it comes to religious activities.”
The school’s statement did not address whether the school’s BetterMan chapter is still operating or if it is now student-run. Damron did not respond to messages from IndyStar seeking comment.
Last year, the Indiana State Teachers Association named Damron its Hoosier Educator of the Year. Many former students and community members commented on the school’s celebratory Facebook post, saying it was well-deserved and reflecting fondly on their time spent in his class.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Religious freedom org calls out teacher-led Bible study at Indiana school
Reporting by Cate Charron, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
