FFRF victories (November 2026)
Arkansas
A concerned Arkansas parent no longer has to choose between protecting their 5-year-old from school-sponsored religious activity and letting the child share a special field trip with classmates.
Lakeside Primary School, in Hot Springs, had planned an Oct. 1 kindergarten field trip to Family Farm Christian Day Camp. The parent visited Family Farm last year and witnessed significant religious activity. When the school sent home permission slips for the trip, the complainant objected.
Principal Amanda Sarver confirmed that previous school visits to Family Farm had included “a brief prayer in the morning after the pledge” and that there could also be “brief comments that reference being thankful to God.” Students were not required to participate, the principal said.
FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to Lakeside School District Superintendent Bruce Orr on Sept. 22, explaining that public schools cannot place families in the position of choosing between an important school experience and avoiding unconstitutional school-sponsored religious events.
The district acted immediately. The next morning, Orr informed FFRF that Lakeside would not proceed with the trip to the Family Farm Christian Day Camp. Instead, the district is planning an alternative kindergarten outing and is considering the Mid-America Science Museum and a local botanical garden.
California
The Lodi Unified School District in California has removed a large Christian cross displayed by a teacher in her fourth-grade classroom following objections by FFRF.
The parent who informed the state/church watchdog about the cross personally observed it during a July 29 back-to-school event at Erma B. Reese Elementary School. According to the complainant, the 12- by-16-inch tall cross was displayed on a wall where the teacher’s fourth-grade students couldn’t avoid it.
“By prominently displaying a cross on her classroom wall where students will inevitably see it, [the teacher], and thus the district, signals clear favoritism toward religion over nonreligion and Christianity over all other faiths,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to Superintendent Neil Young.
FFRF is pleased to report that corrective action promptly followed FFRF’s letter. A representative of the district confirmed via email, “The issue brought to our attention has been addressed, and the cross is no longer displayed.”
Colorado
FFRF convinced Colorado’s second-largest school district to address a constitutional violation involving school-sponsored prayer at an official athletics event.
A concerned Jeffco Public Schools system parent reported that the May 12 Bear Creek High School annual track team awards banquet included a student-led prayer directed by the track team coach. The parent stated that the coach selected a student to lead approximately 50 students and guests in a Christian prayer before the meal. Everyone at the banquet was reportedly told to stop what they were doing for the prayer.
FFRF asked Jeffco Public Schools to investigate and ensure that the coach ceases ordering students to lead prayer at school-sponsored events. “School officials may not direct students to give any type of prayer, invocation, benediction, or sermon at public school-sponsored events,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the superintendent.
The district replied positively — verifying that it investigated FFRF’s complaint and addressed the matter with its employees.
“I can confirm that Jeffco followed up on the concern raised,” the district responded in an email. “Follow-up included speaking with multiple employees who were present at the banquet. In response to that inquiry, the matter was addressed as appropriate with our team members.”
Florida
FFRF ensured that the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind (FSDB) will no longer include prayer in future graduation ceremonies.
FFRF received a report that the 2026 graduation ceremonies for FSDB included a school-sponsored prayer delivered by a student. Per an official video of the ceremony, a staff member called a student to the stage who then led a prayer after asking all attendees to bow their heads. The prayer was delivered to “Heavenly Father” and included the student quoting biblical scripture. Similarly, the School for the Deaf’s 2026 graduation ceremony also reportedly included student-led school-sponsored prayer.
“Including prayer at graduation ceremonies and other school-sponsored events needlessly marginalizes students and families who are nonreligious or members of minority faiths,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.
FSDB took corrective action to refocus on students’ rights. Tracie C. Snow, the district’s legal representative, emailed FFRF to confirm that there would be no further prayers at graduation ceremonies. “No FSDB employee or agent will lead, introduce, or direct a prayer at the ceremony, and no prayer, invocation, or benediction will be listed as a scheduled item in the graduation program,” Snow wrote.
Florida
A public middle school in Panama City, Fla., has removed a prominent “God is Love” banner from its gym after FFRF intervened on behalf of a concerned parent.
For roughly three years, the large religious banner hung inside the gym at Mowat Middle School in Lynn Haven, part of Bay District Schools. The banner incorporated the school’s official “M,” its Mustang identity and school colors, making the religious proclamation appear to be an official message of the school.
FFRF contacted the district and asked it to remove the banner. “As the district is aware, public schools may not constitutionally show favoritism toward or coerce belief or participation in religion,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to Superintendent Mark McQueen.
Fortunately, FFRF has recently received welcome news directly from the parent: The banner is gone.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you for your help,” the parent wrote to FFRF after confirming its removal. The parent sent FFRF a new photo of the gym showing the large space on the wall where the banner once hung, adding: “That big blank spot on the wall feels so right.”
Missouri
FFRF is commending a Missouri school district for its exemplary response to an FFRF letter about a school-sponsored prayer broadcast at a recent football game.
FFRF contacted the Nevada R-V School District in Missouri after learning that the school allowed the student body president to deliver a Christian prayer over the loudspeaker before a varsity football game on Sept. 11. The employee who informed FFRF about the unconstitutional broadcast said the prayer made them uncomfortable and expressed particular concern for students who may not feel empowered to speak up when religion is promoted at a school event.
FFRF stepped up to clarify the district’s responsibility to keep school events free from religious influence.
“School officials may not invite a student, clergy member, teacher, faculty member or anyone else to give any type of prayer, invocation, benediction or sermon at public school-sponsored events, nor may they give a prayer themselves,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to District Superintendent Tyson Beshore.
The district’s response was swift and unequivocal. Beshore apologized for the incident and explained that the senior class president had been invited to speak but that administrators had not reviewed the student’s remarks beforehand.
More importantly, the district immediately put safeguards in place to prevent a recurrence. Going forward, students will not be permitted to address school audiences over a microphone without administrators first reviewing their planned remarks, and an administrator will be present when students speak.
North Dakota
FFRF has persuaded a North Dakota school district to end its longstanding, unconstitutional practice of including clergy-led prayer during high school graduation ceremonies.
A concerned student informed FFRF that the Lidgerwood Public School district had a years-long tradition of beginning high school graduation ceremonies with a Christian prayer delivered by a clergyperson. The student has seen this graduation prayer at the past four graduations, and their understanding is that the district’s graduation prayer practice had been going on far longer.
The student was particularly concerned about facing the same religious exercise at their own future graduation, telling FFRF that they might skip the ceremony entirely rather than endure the discomfort of a school-sponsored prayer.
“School officials may not invite a clergy member, student, community member, teacher, administrator or anyone else to give any type of prayer, invocation, benediction, or sermon at a public high school-sponsored event,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the superintendent.
FFRF is pleased to report that the district took appropriate corrective action. In a letter to FFRF, Ian R. McLean, the district’s legal representative, wrote: “The district will not sponsor or organize a clergy delivered prayer as part of future graduation programs.”
Texas
The Industrial Independent School District in southeast Texas confirmed that students will not be coerced into participating in a religious event by staff or outside religious figures.
A district community member reported that the Industrial Elementary School “See You at the Pole” (SYATP) event scheduled for Sept. 23 was not planned to be student-led. SYATP is a “global day of student prayer.” The community member reported that the school was promoting the event and it was scheduled to feature a minister from a local church and a parent singing.
“This signals clear favoritism toward religion over nonreligion, and Christianity over all other faiths,” FFRF Legal Fellow Charlotte R. Gude wrote to the district.
After receiving FFRF’s letter, Superintendent Michael Colvin confirmed that the district would no longer allow the event to be run by school staffers. “SYATP at Industrial Elementary West will be a student-led event. There will not be a pastor speaking or leading this event.”
