Julie Ball

ASH

ASHEVILLE – Christian prayers at a North Buncombe High Band Boosters event honoring veterans violated Buncombe County Schools’ religion policy, school officials say.

The event on Saturday sparked complaints from some students and at least one parent.

“This was a flagrant breaking of policy,” said Ginger Strivelli, a Pagan and the mother of a student who was at the event.

Strivelli helped push for the policy a couple of years ago after her son came home from North Windy Ridge Intermediate School with a Bible. School officials said Gideons International left the Bibles at the school for students.

Saturday’s event was not on school property. It was held in the field near Dollar General on Weaverville Road.

The North Buncombe Band Boosters hosted the ceremony to open its “Field of Honor” flag display. The display aims to honor veterans. It is also a fund-raising event for the band, which will travel to Hawaii to perform at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade.

“The event, while not on campus, included all members of the (North Buncombe High School) marching band, so it is against the policy as it’s a school-related function,” Jason Rhodes, spokesman for the school system, said in an email.

The Buncombe County schools religion policy states that schools, “will neither advance nor inhibit any religion or religious belief, viewpoint, expression, or practice.”

Strivelli said the event included Christian prayers and a moment of silence that ended with “in Jesus name amen.”

The keynote speaker was U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows. The Rev. Jim Dykes gave an opening and a closing prayer.

“It was a very specifically Baptist, Christian prayer,” said Strivelli’s daughter Sybilsue Strivelli.

Sybilsue Strivelli said there were repeated references to Jesus during the event. She said she has heard from other students who objected.

North Buncombe junior Garland Wells said he was uncomfortable.

“To me, it was awkward and I felt it misrepresented the band,” he said.

Claire Eubanks, a former student who attended the event, felt the prayers were unnecessary.

“It bothered me that Christianity was the only religion represented at the event. It was a Memorial Day ceremony meant to honor all veterans, and people who serve in the military. It’s not just Christians that serve in the military. Both of my parents were in the military, and over the years they’ve met plenty of men and women in the military of various faiths,” Eubanks said via email.

North Buncombe Principal Jack Evans said he heard from one parent and one student about the religious aspects of the program.

“Basically she felt like it was inclusive of only one religion,” Evans said. “With it being a school event, even though it was off campus and on private property, unfortunately they are probably right. That is against the policy.”

Evans said he apologized, and he stressed there was “no intent to exclude, to hurt.”

“What I don’t want is that there would be the belief that there was the intent to hurt someone through this. That was not our intent at all,” he said.

The Band Boosters organized the event. Evans did not take part in the planning.

Evans said he provided the Band Boosters president with a copy of the policy “to make sure we will be following that and giving it more attention in the future.”

“As a school event, we should be following the expectations of our school system, and therefore it (the event) should have been more inclusive,” he said. “But it’s a learning opportunity for us.”

Marvin Mercer, who helped organize the event, could not be reached Tuesday.

Ginger Strivelli said she wants Mercer removed from the booster club. She is promising to do a non-Christian prayer at a band event on Friday if he is not removed.

“If you can break the policy and nothing happens to you, then it’s not a policy,” she said.

Buncombe County school officials began drafting the policy in 2012 following the complaint about the Bibles at North Windy Ridge Intermediate school. The board discussions on the policy drew dozens of speakers over a series of meetings.