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Editorial: Hillsborough schools still struggle with line on religion

 
Published April 29, 2016

Faith-based organizations are among the many private groups that generously donate their time to the Hillsborough County School District, and families and the community are better for it. But the district needs to better oversee the volunteers working with students, and district staffers need to clearly understand and enforce the boundaries between proselytizing and free speech.

The challenge of fostering a robust educational climate in a way that doesn't lead a public school system to promote one religion over another is in the spotlight again after Hillsborough banned from campuses a representative from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes who had worked at five public high schools. The move last month came after a complaint from a Wisconsin-based advocacy group, and a district investigation later found the self-styled minister entered campuses freely and without proper screening, led students in prayer and posted dozens of Facebook pictures — some in locker rooms — which all violated district conduct policies, as the Tampa Bay Times' Marlene Sokol reported.

School administrators acted quickly on the complaint, but it was another example of the lax oversight of faith-based groups. The district promised to crack down in January after questions were raised about First Priority, another Christian group. While it is a student-led club, First Priority also includes a network of adults that provides guidance, speakers and refreshments. Under federal law and district policy, students can gather and exercise their rights to free speech, including the right to pray. But the district cannot operate in a manner that promotes a preferred religion. Volunteers must also refrain from proselytizing students.

The district clearly still has trouble recognizing the difference and has not made the strides it promised. In the Christian Athletes case, a half-dozen school coaches were also named as having played an inappropriate role in leading or joining student prayers. While the district is holding training sessions with volunteers and school coaches and staff, these instances were not borderline or isolated cases. Administrators need to supervise these contacts more closely and exercise better judgment when school staff or volunteers cross the line.

As he moves to decentralize some decisionmaking authority in the district, Hillsborough superintendent Jeff Eakins needs to ensure that the policies affecting the conduct of volunteers are applied evenly across the board. He also needs to hold school staff accountable for seeing that students are free to assemble and speak without undue influence from the outside. By acting as mentors, and operating literacy and other worthwhile programs, faith-based organizations contribute to the health of needy families and the broader community, and they should be welcome partners with the district. But all sides need to recognize and respect the legal lines in dealing with students.