Group Challenges School District Religion Policies

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A group seeking to keep public schools religion-free is again decrying practices in the Rankin County school district.

The American Humanist Association says a Northwest Rankin High School teacher who is also a Baptist minister is illegally insulting atheists in class.

The association sent a letter to the Rankin County School District Tuesday saying a student and parents are complaining about world history teacher Rick Hammarstrom. The district and Hammarstrom didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The district is under federal court order to not advance religion during school hours. A student sued in 2013, complaining of a Christian assembly at Northwest Rankin. In July, a federal judge fined the district $7,500 for opening an honors assembly with a Christian prayer and allowing Bible distribution at an elementary school.

Categories: Local News

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *