Christian gathering at school questioned
25 May 2001
http://www.sptimes.com/News/122200/news_pf/Citrus/Christian_gathering_a.shtml
Christian gathering at school questioned
A Fellowship of Christian Athletes holiday meeting at Inverness
Middle raises questions. School
officials defend allowing it.
By BARBARA BEHRENDT
© St. Petersburg Times, published December 22, 2000
INVERNESS -- Questions concerning the propriety of religious activity in
school surfaced Thursday at Inverness Middle.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Inverness Middle usually meets
before school on Tuesdays. But this week, the meeting was slated to begin
before school Thursday, the same day the student-based club was staging its
annual Christmas gathering.
Students who attended the before-school session were allowed to obtain
passes and go to the gathering, which was held during school hours. All
students not attending the party were required to attend classes,
according to principal Cindy Staten.
School Board member Carol Snyder said she heard from people who were
concerned that students were being pressured into a particular religious
perspective through the activity and she questioned whether everyone there
was there for that reason. At one point, adult ministers who work with
students urged students to stand up and declare their Christian faith or
face some eternal consequences.
"My main concern is that this is being done during class time," Snyder
said. "There is peer pressure to believe this way when the students are
not all Christians."
Snyder already has raised the ire of some local residents who have taken
issue with her stand that the prayer recited at the beginning of board
meetings should be generic instead of strictly Christian.
Among those leading the testimony Thursday was the head of the school's
FCA chapter, Gene Himmel. His mother, Sam, is a School Board member.
Sam Himmel said she hadn't heard about the incident and told a reporter
she planned to find out more.
School officials defended the event.
Staten pointed out that all the students attending the gathering should
have been FCA members and been prepared for that sort of prayer and
testimony offerings. She also noted that schools must provide access to
any such groups that want to express themselves.
Staten said she didn't see a problem with the event being the only
non-class-time activity going on at that time. Staten noted that schools
throughout Citrus would allow similar activities if they, like Inverness
Middle, had finished exams earlier in the week.
"Look at the time of year this is," Staten said. "You're talking about
Christmas vacation and a half-day."
As for Snyder, Staten had this to say: "She needs to take a look
where she's living now. This community is very supportive of these
kinds of activities."
Superintendent David Hickey said he talked to Snyder about her
concerns. He said he didn't think the school stepped outside federal
guidelines that govern such activities. Such events are allowed before
or after school or during special activity periods.
"On the surface, I don't see any mistakes. But if we had any mistakes,
we'll correct them," Hickey said.
Snyder persisted. She said the episode highlighted the uselessness
of half-days and showed a clear preference for the Christian way of
thinking.
"Why don't they study all the religions across the world that have
celebrations at this time of year instead of just Christmas," she said,
noting that people just need to learn more sensitivity to other
perspectives.
"I don't send my Jewish friends Christmas cards," Snyder said. "This
just doesn't have a place in the school day."
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