Christian legal group urges school district to clarify policy<\/h2>\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/cdn.christianpost.com\/assets\/img\/icon\/chat-rect.svg\")
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<\/source><\/picture>A screenshot of Suffolk School Board President Tyron Riddick during a board meeting on August 10, 2023. <\/span> | Screenshot: YouTube\/Suffolk Schools<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nA Virginia school board is being asked to clarify its policy on prayer after the board president would not allow a local resident to use her public comment time to pray for the school district.<\/p>\n
At an Aug. 10 school board meeting<\/a> in Suffolk, resident Angela Kilgore offered to use the remainder of her allotted comment time to pray \u201cfor Suffolk public schools\u201d and its board members when she was prevented from doing so by Board Chair Tyron Riddick.<\/p>\n\u201cI apologize, we can’t do that,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy can’t we?\u201d Kilgore said. \u201cI like to pray for our students in our school.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tense exchange escalated when Riddick ordered Kilgore to \u201cget back on to your topic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is my topic,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, then it’s not permitted at this time,\u201d said Riddick.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo pray for our schools is not permitted?\u201d Kilgore asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s correct,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n
Kilgore then invited those in attendance at the meeting to join her in prayer,\u201d saying, \u201cI’d invite you because I think that that’s the only way that we’re going to come together is through God and our faith.\u201d<\/p>\n
As she stepped away from the podium, Riddick addressed the audience directly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI do want to clarify, I don’t object to prayer,\u201d he said. \u201cI believe that man should always pray. I mean, I love prayer, but this is not the place per the law.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Riddick asked for one of the school district\u2019s attorneys to address the issue, Kilgore and others began to pray the Lord\u2019s Prayer from Matthew 6<\/a>, a portion of which was caught on the open mic.<\/p>\nRiddick then called the meeting into recess as one of the board members was overheard telling Riddick, \u201cAsk the officers to remove her.\u201d<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.christianpost.com\/images\/cache\/image\/15\/02\/150242_w_760_389.png\")
<\/source><\/picture>Suffolk resident Angela Kilgore addresses the school board during a public meeting on August 10, 2023. <\/span> | Screenshot: YouTube\/Suffolk Schools<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHe instructed school police officers to \u201cclear the room\u201d during the recess even as several of those in attendance continued in prayer.<\/p>\n
Video footage showed a police officer approaching those in prayer before the video footage abruptly ended.<\/p>\n
Riddick then returned to the microphone and informed the audience that the board would take a five-minute recess, but not before expressing his respect for \u201cthe book,\u201d an apparent reference to the Bible.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe in abiding by a book that is very influential and it says to be decent and in order, and we have to be mindful that we don’t cherry-pick the book,\u201d he said. \u201cBut conduct unbecoming will not be tolerated, since it’s not a place to grandstand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re here for business, and if we’re truly about our Father’s business, we would be decent and in order. We can respectfully disagree, and if we fall short, we can repent.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Christian Post reached out to Riddick for comment but did not receive a response by press time. This story will be updated if any response is received.<\/p>\n
In response to the exchange between Kilgore and Riddick, attorneys with the Founding Freedoms Law Center and First Liberty Institute sent a letter <\/a>on Sept. 5 to the Suffolk School Board \u201curging members to update their public comment policies to reflect the right of religious citizens to express their viewpoint without fear of censorship.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cThe First Amendment prohibits a school board from silencing a citizen\u2019s prayer out of phantom concerns over violating the Establishment Clause,\u201d said Josh Hetzler, legal counsel for Founding Freedoms Law Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope the school board will clarify its policy and we\u2019d be happy to assist in ensuring that the constitutional rights of religious citizens are protected.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, school board meetings across the nation have been ground zero for clashes between parents and administrators over curriculum, health and safety, and other topics.<\/p>\n
In 2021, a Loudon County, Virginia, public school board meeting <\/a>resulted in two arrests and silenced public comments after a heated discussion erupted regarding new transgender policies and the sexual assault of a female student.<\/p>\nEarlier this summer, at least two members of a California school board received <\/a>death threats over the board\u2019s policy on notifying parents about their child’s welfare, including any request to be identified as the opposite sex.<\/p>\n\nIan M. Giatti is a reporter for The Christian Post and the author of\u00a0BACKWARDS DAD: a children’s book for grownups<\/a><\/em>. He can be reached at:\u00a0ian.giatti@christianpost.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/source><\/picture>A Virginia school board is being asked to clarify its policy on prayer after the board president would not allow a local resident to use her public comment time to pray for the school district.<\/p>\n
At an Aug. 10 school board meeting<\/a> in Suffolk, resident Angela Kilgore offered to use the remainder of her allotted comment time to pray \u201cfor Suffolk public schools\u201d and its board members when she was prevented from doing so by Board Chair Tyron Riddick.<\/p>\n \u201cI apologize, we can’t do that,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy can’t we?\u201d Kilgore said. \u201cI like to pray for our students in our school.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The tense exchange escalated when Riddick ordered Kilgore to \u201cget back on to your topic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is my topic,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, then it’s not permitted at this time,\u201d said Riddick.<\/p>\n \u201cTo pray for our schools is not permitted?\u201d Kilgore asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s correct,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n Kilgore then invited those in attendance at the meeting to join her in prayer,\u201d saying, \u201cI’d invite you because I think that that’s the only way that we’re going to come together is through God and our faith.\u201d<\/p>\n As she stepped away from the podium, Riddick addressed the audience directly.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI do want to clarify, I don’t object to prayer,\u201d he said. \u201cI believe that man should always pray. I mean, I love prayer, but this is not the place per the law.\u201d<\/p>\n As Riddick asked for one of the school district\u2019s attorneys to address the issue, Kilgore and others began to pray the Lord\u2019s Prayer from Matthew 6<\/a>, a portion of which was caught on the open mic.<\/p>\n Riddick then called the meeting into recess as one of the board members was overheard telling Riddick, \u201cAsk the officers to remove her.\u201d<\/p>\n He instructed school police officers to \u201cclear the room\u201d during the recess even as several of those in attendance continued in prayer.<\/p>\n Video footage showed a police officer approaching those in prayer before the video footage abruptly ended.<\/p>\n Riddick then returned to the microphone and informed the audience that the board would take a five-minute recess, but not before expressing his respect for \u201cthe book,\u201d an apparent reference to the Bible.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe in abiding by a book that is very influential and it says to be decent and in order, and we have to be mindful that we don’t cherry-pick the book,\u201d he said. \u201cBut conduct unbecoming will not be tolerated, since it’s not a place to grandstand.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re here for business, and if we’re truly about our Father’s business, we would be decent and in order. We can respectfully disagree, and if we fall short, we can repent.\u201d<\/p>\n The Christian Post reached out to Riddick for comment but did not receive a response by press time. This story will be updated if any response is received.<\/p>\n In response to the exchange between Kilgore and Riddick, attorneys with the Founding Freedoms Law Center and First Liberty Institute sent a letter <\/a>on Sept. 5 to the Suffolk School Board \u201curging members to update their public comment policies to reflect the right of religious citizens to express their viewpoint without fear of censorship.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe First Amendment prohibits a school board from silencing a citizen\u2019s prayer out of phantom concerns over violating the Establishment Clause,\u201d said Josh Hetzler, legal counsel for Founding Freedoms Law Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope the school board will clarify its policy and we\u2019d be happy to assist in ensuring that the constitutional rights of religious citizens are protected.\u201d<\/p>\n Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, school board meetings across the nation have been ground zero for clashes between parents and administrators over curriculum, health and safety, and other topics.<\/p>\n In 2021, a Loudon County, Virginia, public school board meeting <\/a>resulted in two arrests and silenced public comments after a heated discussion erupted regarding new transgender policies and the sexual assault of a female student.<\/p>\n Earlier this summer, at least two members of a California school board received <\/a>death threats over the board\u2019s policy on notifying parents about their child’s welfare, including any request to be identified as the opposite sex.<\/p>\n Ian M. Giatti is a reporter for The Christian Post and the author of\u00a0BACKWARDS DAD: a children’s book for grownups<\/a><\/em>. He can be reached at:\u00a0ian.giatti@christianpost.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.christianpost.com\/images\/cache\/image\/15\/02\/150242_w_760_389.webp\")
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