A concerned parent contacted the Freedom From Religion Foundation when posters announcing the National Day of Prayer were put up around Tiffin High School in Tiffin, Ohio.
The posters were promoting the May 2 National Day of Prayer and contained a bible quote from Matthew 12:21, “In His name the nations will put their hope.”
The posters did not identify if they had been put up by a student group or by the school district. The parent was also concerned about the appearance that a National Day of Prayer event was scheduled by the high school.
FFRF Senior Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert contacted Tiffin City Schools Superintendent Don Coletta in an April 19 letter requesting the school district comply with the separation of church and state.
Coletta responded in an April 23 letter to assure FFRF that the posters were put up by a student group, Students Taking a New Direction, or STAND. He said their May 2 event will not be held during school hours and participation will be voluntary.
He said disclaimers were added to the posters to make clear that the observance of the day and the event was not sponsored or promoted by the school district.