Tennessee School Board to Continue Display of Christian Flag Despite Complaints
- Updated Nov 23, 2015
A Tennessee school board says it will continue to display the Christian flag during its meetings despite complaints that displaying the flag at public school board meetings violates the Constitution.
The Christian Post reports that atheist organization the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) raised concerns about the display of the flag in a letter to Director of Schools in Unicoi County, John English.
“The Christian flag being displayed during public school board meetings unabashedly creates the perception of government endorsement of Christianity, “FFRF Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert stated.
Markert went on to contend that courts have continually ruled against the display of religious objects at public schools.
The FFRF also describes the overt Christian symbolism of the flag on its website, adding to their reasoning for why display of the flag is a clear endorsement of Christianity.
Unicoi County Board of Education Chairman Tyler Engle said the board does not plan on removing the flag and that its display is “not something that is intentionally brought out at every meeting.”
“[I]t is here in the room even when the board doesn’t meet,” Engle added. “Our attorney is carefully reviewing the constitutional precedent and the constitutional law as well as the case law that is cited in the letter,” but, he said, “The board is not planning to take immediate action.”
Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Publication date: November 23, 2015
