Texas School Prayer Ban Started with a Football Game

In the heart of the Permian Basin, many local residents take pride in oil, faith, and football.  The pride for these three entities runs exceedingly deep and resonates with many people in West Texas.  Texans in general have a massive amount of love and passion for High School Football, so this isn't just a local thing.

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Pregame Prayer

For decades, a longstanding tradition of a pregame prayer was held at many High School Football games across Texas.  The prayer itself was conducted more as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the players, and not for an actual win.  This went on for multiple years without incident.

Friday Night Lights Mixed In With A Little Controversy 

In the early 2000s, an issue arose that was brought to light due to these student-led pregame prayers.  So what exactly was the issue?

This started in Santa Fe, Texas, when one of these student-led prayers was broadcast over the stadium loudspeaker.  Keep in mind, this was a school-sponsored event, and school equipment was being used.

So why does that matter?

The notion of broadcasting prayer over a loudspeaker could be seen as a direct violation of the First Amendment Establishment Clause.  When the controversy started, this essentially made national news and was a hot topic of discussion at the time.  This was such a big deal to some that the incident even made its way to the Supreme Court after two families filed suit.  This was later to become known as Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000).

Uncle Sam Rules No Prayer in Schools or School Functions

As a result of this, according to CNN, the Supreme Court had banned prayer in schools, even if it was initiated by the student body.  This is extended to school-related functions such as a High School football game or graduation.

The two families (a Catholic and a Mormon family) indicated that the notion violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.  That portion of the First Amendment prohibits government endorsement of religion on any level.

In the case of Santa Fe High School, this appeared to be perceived as an endorsement or seal of approval on the school's behalf.

Conclusion

Religious freedom is readily available to everyone in the United States. While in a perfect world, we would all believe the same thing.  Unfortunately, that is not reality.  This lawsuit forever changed the landscape of religion in schools, and the case is often referenced when the topic of religion in schools is addressed in court.