Local News: ACLU Prompts Change In Navasota ISD Policy

Navasota Schools Refine Rules on Religion
By Janet Phelps

From the Bryan-College Station Eagle

Navasota school board members will take a "proactive" approach in ensuring that religious activity in schools follows federal law in response to a request for information from the American Civil Liberties Union, officials said Tuesday.

ACLU officials said the request was filed in response to "complaints about teachers participating in religious extracurricular clubs, displaying crosses and other religious items on their clothing and in their classrooms, and about distribution of Gideon Bibles in Navasota schools."

School board President John Price declined to give details about the complaints, saying, "I don't want to put information that may identify anyone out there."

Price said the district would host training sessions to clarify policies regarding the practice of religion in schools.

"We want to make sure that our faculty and our staff have a clear understanding of the role of religion in schools and what's proper and what's not proper," he said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas submitted a written request for information about teachers' religious activities to district officials on June 25, asking that the information be delivered by Thursday as required by the Texas Public Information Act.

The four-page letter asks for information and documents in 18 areas, including the distribution of religious information and Gideon Bibles, staff members wearing religious clothing or symbols, prayer at staff meetings and religious discrimination or harassment in schools. School officials said they were working to comply with the ACLU's request.

District officials released a statement June 25 after receiving the ACLU's request.

The statement refers to "recent allegations that a few members of our district staff may not have a full understanding of [Navasota Independent School District] policy and the proper role of religion in public schools."

"When allegations of possible improprieties recently surfaced, the district took immediate steps to investigate and take corrective measures," the statement says.

Price said the district had learned of a complaint shortly before receiving the ACLU's request and had already began to plan staff training to resolve the issue.

The board president sent a letter to Navasota teachers and staff Tuesday saying the ACLU's request gave the district an opportunity to take "proactive steps, including upcoming training, refinement of policy and clarification of practices -- aimed at ensuring our school community has a solid understanding of the role of religion in public schools."

The letter outlines nine examples of when religious activity is and is not appropriate in schools or among staff members.

Bert Miller, Navasota's mayor and a board member of the Education Foundation, said he didn't know what prompted the ACLU's request but that he was impressed by Price's letter.

"I'm just glad they're taking action and taking it immediately and not putting it aside or not dealing with it," he said.

Texas ACLU Public Education Director Dotty Griffith said the request did not indicate that legal action would be taken against the district.

"We are not about litigation in this case," she said. "We are simply asking for information, and we evaluate whatever steps -- if any are necessary -- to take based on the information that we get."

Published on Wednesday, July 08, 2009