Hannah Sparling

hsparling@newarkadvocate.com

The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent Licking Valley schools a letter concerning team prayer.

This is the second FFRF letter Licking Valley has gotten in a week.

Superintendent Dave Hile said he's leaving a response up to the district's attorneys.

HANOVER – Licking Valley High School is again under scrutiny from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The high school received a letter Sept. 23 denouncing the marching band's "Salvation" T-shirts. On Tuesday, one week after the first letter, superintendent Dave Hile got a second, this one concerning prayer by the football team.

The second letter alleges high school football coach Randy Baughman participated in prayer with students during the 2013 season. The prayer appears to have been student-led, the letter states, but "We understand Coach Baughman and other members of the coaching staff bowed their heads and participated. We are concerned that this practice continues this season."

The letter includes an attachment of a Facebook picture posted in July 2013 to the Licking Valley High School Football page. The picture shows the team kneeling together with apparent coaches standing nearby. "Ty Griffith leading the team in prayer," the caption states.

The photo got 39 likes, 23 shares and several comments.

"Real men right there," wrote one commenter.

"Amen..." added another. "Real men..."

Baughman could not be immediately reached for comment. Hile confirmed he received the letter but said he has not yet had a chance to talk with Baughman to figure out what was going on in the picture.

Hile also is working with the district's attorneys to determine what exactly staff members can and can't do during student-led prayer — if it's OK for them to silently participate or not.

The foundation cites several cases in its letter, but Hile said he wants to rely on his own attorneys' interpretation.

"I need to have a conversation with coach Baughman about the picture and get clear exactly what's happening," Hile said. "If there's a violation of our policy, then we'll have a conversation about that."

The foundation is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting nontheism and defending the separation of religion and government nationwide. Foundation attorney Rebecca Markert wrote both letters to Licking Valley. She said it is a bit unusual — though not unheard of — for a district to get back-to-back letters.

"I would say it probably happens once or twice a year for FFRF," Markert said. "Typically, when a matter becomes public and there are new stories on it, we often hear from other members of the community who say, 'Hey, do you know that this is going on too?' "

Hile didn't respond to the first letter, which Markert noted in the second, again asking for a written response detailing any steps that will be taken by the district. The foundation typically follows up on each letter, and if Licking Valley refuses to respond, litigation may be an option, Markert said.

Hile said that this time, he is leaving any response up to the district's legal team.

"I'm going to let my attorney decide whether we should make a response, and if so, what the response should be," Hile said. "Since we have them involved, we'll let them make those decisions."

hsparling@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8822

Twitter: @hksparling