The Oklahoma State Department of Education has filed a complaint aimed at halting the efforts of an atheist legal organization, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), which is seeking to force a public school district to end its voluntary prayer practice.
The complaint was lodged against the Wisconsin-based organization on Monday in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The dispute centers around a cease-and-desist demand letter sent by FFRF to Achille Public Schools last December regarding a policy that allows students to say prayers during morning announcements.
The department's legal filing states, “The Plaintiffs will have an irreparable injury, should the Defendant be permitted to continue its threatening and harassing behavior. By contrast, the Defendant cannot show any harm whatsoever, should an injunction be granted.”
The filing further requests the court to issue an injunction preventing FFRF from undermining the constitutional and statutory authorities granted to the State Superintendent and the State Department of Education.
Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters expressed his commitment to stand against what he described as bullying from “radical, out-of-state atheists who use intimidation and harassment against kids.” He stated, “The Freedom From Religion Foundation has no stake in our schools, no authority over our communities, and absolutely no right to trample on the First Amendment. Their threats are nothing more than a desperate attempt to erase faith from public life, and we will fight them at every turn,” according to KOCO News 5.
In response to the state's complaint, FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott labeled it as “frivolous,” asserting that “FFRF, as a defender of our Constitution, expects to continue our important work in Oklahoma regardless of frivolous lawsuits by Walters.”
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor stated, “We are proud of FFRF's record of support for true religious freedom and the rights of conscience of a captive audience of schoolchildren to be free from government-sponsored indoctrination in our public schools.”
Last year, FFRF's pressure led to the cessation of Christian prayers at a Christmas play held at a public elementary school in Depew, Oklahoma. Additionally, last month the Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily blocked the state education department from purchasing 55,000 Bibles for public schools.
Walters announced plans last year to emphasize biblical studies in the social studies curriculum of public schools. He stated, “We're not going to allow left-wing extremists and the teachers union to keep the Bible from schools in its historical context. So, we're very proud to be the first state to put the Bible back into classrooms and make sure that our kids understand its impact in American history.”
