ICC Note: Principal Dan Noll of White Oak High School has officially been forced to stop quoting from the Bible during the daily morning announcements. After a student anonymously complained about the matter, atheist activist group Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to the school district asking that they order Noll to discontinue this practice. Though the superintendent initially defended the principal, on March 14th, 2015 he announced that Noll would no longer be quoting from the Bible during the “Thought for the Day” segment of the announcements.
By Heather Clark
03/17/2015 United States (Christian News Network) – A Texas principal who quotes Scripture over the intercom during the morning announcements will no longer do so after a prominent atheist activist group sent a letter of complaint about the matter.
As previously reported, according to KETK-TV, an anonymous student at White Oak High School recently contacted atheist blogger Hemant Mehta after recording Principal Dan Noll quoting from the Bible during the announcements. The practice reportedly goes back to the 1970’s according to former alumni.
“He who leads upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance,” Noll read from the book of Proverbs in one of the announcements. “The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.”
Mehta then contacted the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) about the matter, which in turn sent a letter to the district, asking that it order Noll to cease and desist the practice.
Superintendent Michael Gilbert stated last week that he didn’t believe that FFRF should be given any media attention, and advised that Noll would not be punished for quoting Scripture during the announcements.
“The residents were offended at the use of Scripture, demanding that it be stopped and calling for disciplinary action against Mr. Noll,” he stated. “I am fully aware of the practice at the high school and will not pursue any action against our high school principal or any other member of our faculty/staff concerning this issue.”
“Let me also be clear that we have not (in my opinion) violated anyone’s rights and/or subjected anyone to undue stress,” Gilbert continued. “Bible studies and Scriptures are allowed in schools. The requirement is that the material be presented in a neutral manner. It is my position that we met that standard with the morning announcements.”
