During quiet reading time: 'No, put that in your backpack. I told you to put it away'

The teacher was obviously confused about school policy and the law. There needs to be more clarity in schools on their policies and how they relate to the Constitutional rights of students and parents, as well as how they should be enforced.

[URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe_Independent_School_Dist._v._Doe] The Supreme Court[/URL] ruled that “a policy permitting student-led, student-initiated prayer at football games violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.” In the case of [URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_v._Weisman] Lee vs. Weisman[/URL] , it was decided that “clergy-led prayer within the events of a public high school graduation violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment”.

I think when people hear that, they assume that ALL prayer or religious activity is being forbidden, not just all public prayer at school sponsored events.

More about school prayer and Bible reading [URL=http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.ht… here[/URL].

…Among other things, students may read their Bibles or other scriptures, say grace before meals, and pray or study religious materials with fellow students during recess, the lunch hour, or other noninstructional time to the same extent that they may engage in nonreligious activities. While school authorities may impose rules of order and pedagogical restrictions on student activities, they may not discriminate against student prayer or religious speech in applying such rules and restrictions.