Intercom prayers: proper or not? - high school principal dismissed for allowing broadcast of prayers over school's intercom

Current Events, Jan 10, 1994

Last fall, students in a Jackson, Mississippi high school heard a daily prayer over the school intercom. The prayer was read by students at Wingfield High School and broadcast to all classrooms. The principal, Bishop Knox, felt that the custom set a good tone for the day. Most students liked hearing the few words that simply asked God's blessing on "parents, teachers, and country."

But the school superintendent ordered the prayers stopped. Mr. Knox kept up the prayers anyway. So the superintendent dismissed him last November. Then the school board decided dismissal was too harsh and merely suspended Mr. Knox for the rest of the year.

The decision upset many people. Students had voted 490 to 96 in favor of the prayers. Many parents called Mr. Knox and school officials to protest the action against the principal.

But the school superintendent felt that he had to stop the prayers. The First Amendment to the Constitution forbids the government from interfering with religious practices. This amendment has been interpreted to mean that all public institutions, including public schools, cannot endorse religious practices.

In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled prayers unconstitutional for this reason. But in 1992, it did allow prayers at graduation ceremonies-under special circumstances.

At the time of writing, Mr. Knox was fighting against his dismissal. He maintains that he did nothing unconstitutional. Several bills have also been proposed in the Mississippi legislature to permit school prayers.

What do you think? Should prayers be allowed in school?