Remove all ads for just $2 a month!

A Florida Public School had a banner on school property that advertised a local church. (August 2026)

Florida —

“The Seminole County (Fla.) Public School system followed up on FFRF’s concerns after being informed of an unconstitutional banner on school property that advertised a local church.

FFRF learned that around the weekend of March 28, Authentic Church had been leaving a large banner on Winter Springs High School’s property. The banner was left up even outside the hours the church was renting school property for services.

FFRF contacted the district in order to have the banner removed.

“Continuing to permit Authentic Church to leave its banners on District property outside of its designated rental hours signals favoritism toward religion over nonreligion, and Christianity over all other faiths,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote.

After receiving FFRF’s letter, Seminole County Public Schools Staff Attorney Kalae Menard reached out to confirm that positive action had been taken.

“The principal addressed the church and advised them to remove the signs on 5/19/26. I have requested for the principal to inform me once they are in fact removed from the property,” Menard wrote. Menard also confirmed that the human resources department of the district will be working with the assistant superintendents of elementary, middle schools and high schools to address engagement with religious groups, in addition to including a principal training during the districtwide HR seminar that is set to occur at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.”

The post A Florida Public School had a banner on school property that advertised a local church. (August 2026) appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

A School District in Florida was allowing a school football coach lead students in prayer. (August 2026)

Florida —

FFRF made sure that the St. Johns County School District in St. Augustine, Fla., put a stop to the district’s practice of having a school football coach lead students in prayer and other Christian rituals.

A district parent reported that Alan D. Nease High School had a pattern and practice of entangling religion with the school’s athletics programs. The parent stated that organized prayer had become a regular part of the school’s athletics, particularly within the football team. FFRF learned that student football players were participating in school-sponsored prayer sessions before school, as well as at practices and games.

FFRF wrote to the district in order to put a stop to these troubling patterns.

“Even if students and parents know about the school-sponsored athletics program prayer and are able to opt-out – though the parent who contacted us does not allege that an opt-out exists – voluntariness is still no excuse for violating students’ rights,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district’s legal representative, Frank D. Upchurch, III.

After receiving the letter, Upchurch confirmed that the district investigated the FFRF’s report. As a result of this, the district noted that it did appear that the coach was leading the team in saying grace before team meals.

“The administration counseled the coach and provided appropriate guidance,” Upchurch wrote. “I am told the coach understands and will refrain from leading students in prayer in the future.” Upchurch added that if more reports came in, he and the district would look into them accordingly and respond appropriately in the future.

The post A School District in Florida was allowing a school football coach lead students in prayer. (August 2026) appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

A School system in Georgia will no longer allow a representative of a Christian club access to students during their lunch periods. (August 2026)

Georgia —

FFRF made sure that the Glynn County (Ga.) School system would no longer allow a representative of a Christian club access to students during their lunch periods to ask religious questions.

A concerned district parent reported that on Oct. 2, 2025, Glynn Academy High School allowed Amanda Ashworth, a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) representative, access to the school in order to approach students during lunch and question them about Jesus, their beliefs and biblical stories. Per a video posted to Ashworth’s TikTok account, she asked students religious questions, such as “When Jesus turned one fish into 5,000, was it raw or cooked?” and recorded their answers. Ashworth was seemingly in the cafeteria and was allowed to roam the area, film students and talk to them without supervision. The parent brought this to FFRF’s attention while adding that, as an atheist, they felt very uncomfortable with anyone approaching students during school “to talk about Jesus or any other religion.”

FFRF took action to defend the rights of both parents and students.

“Providing a Christian group preferential access to proselytize students during the school day on school property sends an official message that excludes all nonreligious district students and family members, and those religious students who don’t follow the Christian religion,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote.

After sending the initial letter in April 2026, FFRF followed up with the district in May, finally getting a response from District Superintendent Mike Blackerby, who confirmed via email that the district had “addressed the situation.”

The post A School system in Georgia will no longer allow a representative of a Christian club access to students during their lunch periods. (August 2026) appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

A Montana Public School system displayed a mural that gave the impression that prayer was a required value of the district. (August 2026)

Montana —

FFRF made sure that the Billings (Mont.) Public School system was not involved with a mural on school property that gave the impression that prayer was a required value of the district.

FFRF received a report regarding a mural in Skyview High School that promotes prayer. The complainant explained that in the lower floor hallway of the school, there was a mural depicting the school’s mascot, a falcon, pointing at the view, saying “I want YOU to be a Falcon!” Various core traits of being a falcon are listed on the mural, and the first trait is “PRAYER.” FFRF learned that the mural caused confusion among the student body, as it was unclear if the mural was created by the school itself or a student club. If the mural was created by the school, it would appear that the school was encouraging students to pray and implying that one must believe in and practice prayer to be a SHS Falcon. Further investigation revealed that the mural was allegedly created by a student organization, the All Nations Club. However, there was no signage or disclaimer on or around the mural clarifying that it was created by a student group instead of the school itself. The lack of clarification has led some students to question whether the mural is school sponsored religious promotion.

“If the school continues to claim the mural is student-created, the mural is still problematic if the student club was given special treatment,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote. “Any student-created murals or displays should be erected according to an open forum operated according to neutral rules.”

After receiving FFRF’s letter, Superintendent Erwin Garcia  wrote back to clarify the situation, as well as explain the corrective action taken. “The mural at Skyview High School was  not  created,  commissioned  or sponsored by the school or the district. It was designed and painted by the student-led All Nations Club, an Indigenous student organization, as part of a student-led initiative,” Garcia  wrote. “We recognize that the lack of clear designation has caused confusion regarding  school sponsorship. To resolve this and ensure compliance with viewpoint-neutral forum  guidelines, the district will ensure that appropriate signage or a disclaimer is promptly placed on or alongside the mural.”

The post A Montana Public School system displayed a mural that gave the impression that prayer was a required value of the district. (August 2026) appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

FFRF sounds alarm over Mo. fire department flying Christian flag

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is demanding that the City of Diamond Fire Department immediately remove a Christian flag displayed on public property.

FFRF recently learned that the Fire Department is flying a Christian flag outside its station. The nonreligious individual who contacted FFRF reported that seeing a public fire department display a religious flag “feels exclusionary” and sends the message that non-Christians are not equally welcome.

“By flying the Christian flag on public property, the department is signaling official favoritism toward religion over nonreligion, and Christianity over all other faiths,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence has written to Fire Chief Rebecca Dunn

It appears that the Christian flag is currently displayed outside the fire station along with the U.S. flag and the department’s flag. This suggests that the department is controlling and selecting the flags displayed outside of its building — making the flags government speech. The Fire Department knows that citizens interact with and rely on firefighters during some of the most urgent and vulnerable times of their lives. People belonging to minority religions and nonreligious citizens should not be made to feel like outsiders in their own community because the Fire Department flies a Christian flag outside of its building. Such an act needlessly excludes the 38 percent of Americans who are non-Christians, including the nearly one in three adult Americans who are religiously unaffiliated.

“The Fire Department exists to protect everyone in the community, regardless of their religious beliefs,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. “When a government agency displays a Christian flag, it sends the unmistakable message that Christians are favored insiders while everyone else is an outsider. Public institutions have a duty to serve all citizens equally. ”

The Christian flag, despite its benign origins, has unfortunately become heavily associated with white Christian nationalism and the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, FFRF points out. As a report by FFRF and the Baptist Joint Commission for Religious Liberty details, the Christian flag was among the symbols of Christian nationalism and white supremacy that insurrectionists displayed as they stormed the Capitol. 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With more than 41,000 members across the country, including hundreds of members in Missouri, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.

The post FFRF sounds alarm over Mo. fire department flying Christian flag appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.