Dustin Barnes

The Clarion-Ledger

Officials have responded to a letter from an atheist group blasting Jackson Public Schools for including religious references and prayer at a mandatory teacher convocation event throughout the district.

In a letter sent to the American Humanist Association's legal center by JPS counsel, JoAnn Shepherd, the district promised to ask convocation speakers in the future to refrain from any religious activity.

This isn't the first time AHA - whose motto is "Good without God" - has had issues with a Mississippi school district. In May, the group filed a contempt motion against Rankin County School District on behalf of a Northwest Rankin High School student who said an April 17 districtwide honors program violated the district's November settlement of a lawsuit over Christian-themed assemblies at the school.

Originally, JPS spokesman Sherwin Johnson would only say the school was looking over the letter sent earlier this week.

We'll update you if there are any more changes.

Contact Dustin Barnes at dbarnes2@gannett.com or (601) 360-4644. Follow @DustinCL on Twitter.