California school district to halt all graduation prayers

After the Freedom From Religion Foundation successfully stopped illegal prayer at a June 4 high school graduation in Exeter, Calif., it received a complaint that a middle school in the same district held an unlawful invocation as part of its graduation program on June 3. The prayer ended "in Jesus' name." Foundation Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert wrote Superintendent Renee Whitson: "It is deeply troubling that despite the effort to bring the graduation ceremony at Exeter Union High School into conformance with the law, the school district would allow Wilson Middle School to ignore it." A district attorney responded on July 1: "The Governing Board of the Exeter Union School District discussed the concerns raised in your letter and has decided that no District-sponsored invocations will be a part of the program for any future District graduation ceremonies."