Victory: Girls’ Volleyball Team Can Pray
After a Northern Virginia high school girls’ volleyball team was told by school administrators that they were not allowed to pray together before their games, the Founding Freedoms Law Center (FFLC) stepped in to help correct the school’s unconstitutional overreach. We are pleased to report that the school reversed course and allowed the girls to pray.
FFLC was recently contacted by the parents of a high school girl who is one of the leaders of her public school volleyball team. After this courageous young lady began leading a voluntary prayer before the games that any of her teammates were welcome to join, someone complained. That’s when school administrators approached her to tell her she was no longer allowed to pray before games and then instructed her to go tell the rest of her team about this directive.
Thankfully, her parents reached out to FFLC right away and our attorneys were able to advise them through the situation in effectively communicating with the school. With some gentle pushback, the school realized its error and quickly informed the girls they were allowed to pray after all.
This story is just one example of the many ways FFLC regularly helps parents and students navigate threats to their constitutionally-protected freedoms of speech and religious exercise. Shockingly, these abuses by school administrators and other government officials occur almost every day in communities across Virginia. Often these situations are resolved without litigation or publicity, and frequently without anyone but the client knowing attorneys were ever involved. Unfortunately, without an advocate like the Founding Freedoms Law Center to stand in the breach with citizens in the Commonwealth, religious liberty and free speech is constantly at risk.
If you or someone you know thinks your freedom of speech, religious exercise, or parental rights are being infringed, please reach out to FFLC right away so that we may be able to intervene early and hopefully avoid a greater conflict.