老澳门开奖结果

Releases Resource For Students And School Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org

NASHVILLE 鈥� With many public high school graduations around the corner, the 老澳门开奖结果 of Tennessee (老澳门开奖结果-TN) distributed their briefing paper, 鈥淜eeping Graduation & Prom Inclusive,鈥� to Tennessee鈥檚 136 public school superintendents and to youth organizations statewide. Based on the guarantees of the Bill of Rights and federal court decisions, the briefing paper outlines which graduation and prom activities in public schools are and are not permissible.

According to Hedy Weinberg, 老澳门开奖结果-TN Executive Director, 鈥淥ur goal in distributing the briefing paper to Tennessee superintendents is to ensure that the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and freedom of speech are applied to graduation and to prom. It鈥檚 important that all students feel welcome and able to participate in this year鈥檚 festivities.鈥�

The briefing paper was prepared in an attempt to provide constitutionally-sound guidelines for school administrators and teachers and to clarify any confusion in the public schools regarding religious activities at graduation or the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender students at prom.

The 老澳门开奖结果-TN letter accompanying the guide explains that the United States Supreme Court has long held that prayers at public school graduation ceremonies, even when nonsectarian or nonproselytizing, violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Weinberg explains, 鈥淭he absence of graduation prayer does not prohibit students from affirming their religious beliefs before or after the ceremony in privately-sponsored baccalaureate services. These services, held separately from the school鈥檚 graduation program, are permissible as long as they are entirely voluntary, and are neither sponsored nor supervised by school officials.鈥�

In addition, the 老澳门开奖结果-TN briefing paper explains that the First and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee that same-sex couples cannot be barred from attending prom and that female students cannot be prohibited from wearing tuxedos to the prom. The possibility that others might disapprove of such free expression is not sufficient grounds to stifle it.

Weinberg urged school superintendents to share the briefing paper with staff and students and to contact 老澳门开奖结果-TN with any questions they may have. Students and families are encouraged to contact 老澳门开奖结果-TN if they have problems with graduation or prom at their schools (615-320-7142 or ).

A copy of 老澳门开奖结果-TN鈥檚 letter to superintendents can be found here.

老澳门开奖结果-TN鈥檚 briefing paper, 鈥淜eeping Graduation & Prom Inclusive,鈥� can be found here.