By Associated Press

The American Civil Liberties Union is accusing the Bossier Parish School Board of wrongly promoting religion by allowing the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to set up prayer-request boxes at Airline High School in Bossier City.

The ACLU, in an open letter dated Thursday, says that’s one in a pattern of activities violates the Constitution’s First Amendment prohibition against establishment of religion. The group also cites a website message from Airline High principal Jason Rowland that includes the phrase “The Future Starts Today — May God Bless You All”

District spokeswoman Sonja Bailes said the school board and superintendent will discuss the situation at the board’s Thursday meeting

“The system respects both the law and the religious beliefs of all its students and employees,” Bailes wrote in a Friday email.

Marjorie Esman, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana, demanded that the prayer request boxes be removed and that references to prayer stop on school district websites. The group also demanded that school employees be educated about protecting students and staff from religious indoctrination and that Rowland be told school communications can’t include “religious references of any kind.”

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