As a Jewish student growing up in northern Utah County, I was clearly a religious minority among my classmates, who were overwhelmingly active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I knew the protections guaranteed under the First Amendment’s free exercise and establishment clauses — reaffirmed by the Supreme Court’s decision in Santa Fe Independent School District vs. Doe and Engel vs. Vitale — protected me from requirements to attend or participate in prayer. I am deeply disturbed that the bedrock principle of separation of church and state is being eroded in the recent Supreme Court decision in Kennedy vs. Bremerton, which upheld the right of a high school football coach to lead his team in prayer on the field.
As a religious minority, I overheard many antisemitic comments that eventually stopped me from wearing my yarmulke to class and, despite the protections, I was repeatedly pressured to join in on organized prayer. Twice, orchestra teachers gathered us together before our concert (with mandatory attendance) and chose a student to lead the class in prayer. And once, at the beginning of the AP exam for English language and composition, a student-led prayer was joined by all of the present adult proctors and employees who stopped, turned and bowed their heads in front of the entire gymnasium of more than 200 students.
With the legal prohibition, I experienced far fewer incidents of faculty-led public prayers than I otherwise would have. However, the incidents that I did experience stick in my head vividly. They were uncomfortable, highlighted my differences from the other students and ostracized me from the group. Without the general prohibition of faculty involvement in public prayer or praying in a performative manner as a representative of the school, the number of incidents will increase exponentially.
Just as easily as prayer can unite, it can also divide.
Our government is determined by the majority, but without the necessary safeguards, the minority will suffer. As President Lincoln said, “All the vital rights of minorities ... are so plainly assured to them, by affirmations and negations, guarantees and prohibitions, in the Constitution, that controversies never arise concerning them.”
The recent court decision threatens these assurances. Allowing public school employees to pray in a manner that encourages students to join them at school-sponsored events gives the strong impression that the school endorses a particular faith and compels students to join in. This puts students, like myself, in the spotlight for their lack of adherence to the faith and promotes harassment and bullying.
The Supreme Court’s dissenting opinion in the Kennedy case recognized that school-age students are more impressionable than adults and therefore require greater protections. When coaches and teachers, held in high esteem by students, engage in activities, it places immense pressure on students to participate alongside their friends.
It is not the place of public schools in America to pressure students to engage in prayer that conflicts with their own religious beliefs, or lack thereof. In Engel, the court ruled that the state could not hold non-denominational public prayer in schools because it imposes religion on students. Per the Constitution, we must protect students’ beliefs.
Utah is unique for its strong religious heritage. This drastic change to federal protections puts the onus on the state to protect the rights of its whole population — regardless of religious affiliation. Allowing public schools to impose a specific faith, threatens our ability to have students share their traditions in a supportive environment. For religious and nonreligious students, we must do better.
Asher Ireland
Asher Ireland is a graduate of Lone Peak High School and a current student at the University of Utah. He is also an active member of the Utah Jewish community.
