FFRF was informed that a choir director for Loogootee middle and high schools in Indiana had been using her position to promote religion to students in the school’s choir program.
The program had been performing overwhelmingly Christian music and choir students were being required to sing in various churches. FFRF Legal Fellow Chris Line wrote to Loogootee Community Schools Superintendent Chip Mehaffey on Nov. 10, requesting that the school district begin an immediate investigation into the violation.
Line informed Mehaffey that it was inappropriate for a public school teacher to teach songs of Christian worship and devotion in a public school setting. Additionally, Line noted, taking public school students to church strongly signals an unconstitutional endorsement of Christianity.
On Nov. 10, a legal representative of the district informed FFRF that the district will not make arrangements for students to perform at churches in the future and will ensure that outside performances arranged by the school will be performed in nonreligious venues. FFRF was also informed that the choir instructor had been told to make secular song choices.