Prayer at High School Sports Events - Brief Article

Current Events, Oct 1, 1999

ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 17-year-old Marian Ward was nervous. Ward's classmates had chosen her to give a pregame message to a stadium full of fans at her Santa Fe, Texas, high school football game that night.

Just before the game started, Ward walked up to the podium, looked out at the crowd of more than 3,000 people, noticed the television cameras pointed at her, and spoke into the microphone. Her voice cracking, Ward said, "I have chosen to pray to solemnize this game. And if you want to participate, bow your heads and give thanks to the Lord."

Ward's prayer was greeted with a standing ovation that lasted more than a minute. Not everyone agrees, however, that Ward's decision to pray before the game was a good one. Some people say Ward's exposing the entire audience to her prayer violated the U.S. Constitution. The reason they cite is that some listeners could have held beliefs that differed from Ward's.

A Long History

Debate about prayer in schools has raged in the United States since 1963, when the Supreme Court ruled that teachers could not lead prayers in public schools because doing so violates the constitutional principle of separation of church and state.

This year, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that student-led prayers that do not refer to a deity are allowable at "solemn" events, such as graduation ceremonies, but ruled out such prayers at school athletic events.

In Texas, however, some people, including Ward, feel that football is a "solemn" occasion, and they have defied the court ruling. Mark Shaw, a trustee on the Santa Fe school board, said, "Football games are ... attended on a voluntary basis, so if you don't like the prayer, come later."

However, Dena Marks, of the Anti-Defamation League, said, "It could be that there are certain people who don't believe the same way the person who says the prayer believes, and because of that, by definition, [saying a prayer] excludes those people."

An Unresolved Problem

The debate about public prayer at school athletic events has prompted calls for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide the issue once and for all.

Although Ward's prayer may have signaled a small victory for school prayer advocates, the final decision on this subject may rest with the Supreme Court.

Should schools allow prayer before athletic events?