ACLU sues Santa Rosa schools for promoting religion (with LAWSUIT)

Santa Rosa County school administrators have "persistently and pervasively" promoted their religious beliefs to students, the ACLU alleges in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday.

The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the school district, Superintendent of Schools John Rogers and Pace High School Principal Frank Lay on behalf of two Pace students and their parents.

Students at Pace "not only face overt compulsion to adopt the religious beliefs of school officials, but also must contend with subtle, coercive pressures to conform their religious beliefs to those favored by school officials," the lawsuit claims.

The complaint seeks to forbid school officials from "sponsoring, facilitating or promoting" prayer at school functions, including graduation.

It also calls for an end to school-sponsored events being held at places of worship and a ban on religious baccalaureate services.

The lawsuit calls for the court to halt "school officials and others" from "unconstitutionally endorsing or coercing religion."

It also seeks "nominal damages, attorneys' fees and expenses."

ACLU attorney Benjamin Stevenson said the lawsuit was filed only after two years of talking to school officials "to try to fashion a resolution to this," was ignored.

"We've lost faith they're going to do anything voluntarily," Stevenson said.

Stevenson said most of the negotiations with the school system, conducted primarily through school district attorney Paul Green, were ignored. At other times, Stevenson said, the school system promised "something's going to happen soon."

Green confirmed that he'd received a copy of the lawsuit but declined to comment on it or his negotiations with the ACLU.

Lay and Rogers declined comment, citing "pending litigation."

"You probably know the drill here," Lay said. "I've been told not to say anything."

The two students who filed complaints were identified in the lawsuit as Doe 1 and Doe 2. The lawsuit claims naming them could subject them to retribution, including physical harm.

Stevenson declined to reveal the students' religious affiliation.

Both students said they had attended school district functions at which they were subjected to "the district's policies, practices, and customs promoting religion," according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that teachers and staff at Pace spoke of "judgment day of the Lord" and offered Bible readings during student meetings.

The suit alleges that prayers at the 2005, 2006 and 2008 graduation ceremony at Central High School were led by the sitting president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Jay High School graduation ceremonies from 2004 to 2008 featured opening and closing prayers that were "nearly always" led by student representatives of the Christian World Order or Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the suit says.

It alleges similar practices at Milton High School, Navarre High School and Santa Rosa Learning Academy.

Stevenson said the students' complaints touched off the investigation, but that third parties confirmed the allegations and an "extensive public records request" made last August had been revealing.

At least some ACLU evidence against the school system is "based on printed programs of events," Stevenson said.

Stevenson said the ACLU will continue to negotiate a settlement with the school system to avoid a protracted lawsuit.

"We're not trying to keep religion out of public schools, we're just trying to make sure school officials aren't taking sides," he said. "It is simply our belief that Santa Rosa officials should not use their positions to advocate their religious beliefs.

Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin can be reached at 863-1111, Ext. 1435.