LOWNDES CO., Ga. – On Monday, September 16, 2019, the Lowndes County Board of Education had a controversial topic to handle.
God. Football. Georgia.
The fracas began at the Lowndes High School Vikings football game against Champagnat Catholic on August 30 when a prayer was delivered over the PA, someone was paying close attention. A “concerned parent” contacted Freedom From Religion Foundation claiming their First Amendment rights were being violated.
Things changed the following Friday night, September 6, as the Vikings took on Parkview. The prayer was omitted without public explanation.
Lowndes County Schools Superintendent Wes Taylor met with the school attorney, L. Warren Turner, Jr., for counsel on the issue. It was then that a decision was made to omit the prayer pending the Monday, September 9 Lowndes County Board of Education meeting.
The Lowndes High Viking Touchdown Club Facebook page has been outspoken about the topic, posting on September 11:
My heart tells me the BOE will do what I consider the right thing and allow our students to pray but my head tells me they will acquiesce out of fear of potentially being sued. As much as I hate thinking our elected leaders will cower to these bullies we must be prepared. With 5 days remaining before the next BOE meeting I’m asking for men and women, boys and girls of faith to pray for the BOE members. And I am again calling on all Viking fans of faith to be prepared on September 20th, to stand and recite the Lords prayer. “What if we say it differently?” No problem. Just pray out LOUD! Imagine if several thousand Viking fans LOUDLY and very PUBLICLY voiced a prayer! I think it will be awesome. Perhaps this can be a new Viking pregame tradition. Let the organization in Wisconsin go pound sand! If one student praying rattles them imagine when word reaches Wisconsin that all they accomplished was to get thousands to pray before the games. Let’s see what they do then.
Lowndes High Vikings Touchdown Club Facebook page
The The Viking Nation Facebook page issued this statement to the Lowndes BOE:
My name is Darrell Presley and I am President of the Viking Touchdown Club. I come to you tonight on behalf of the Club, its officers, and our members to express our concerns over the school system decision to omit the student lead prayer during the pregame activities at home football games. We realize that our role is one of support and backing of the entire football program but a majority of our members feel strongly that we need to speak out on this issue that they feel intensely about and is a major topic of discussion and alarm in our community.
I want to stress that we are talking about our community – yours and ours – not a community in Wisconsin or New York, or California. We are talking about the people of Lowndes County that go to football games on Friday night – to see their children play, to cheer with the Cheerleaders as their Vikings roll to victory, and to support the Bridgemen. They have expressed their overwhelming desire for this family oriented event to begin with a prayer asking the Lord’s blessings on all involved. It has begun with a prayer for years and it is beyond the comprehension of this community why it stopped this past Friday night.
We understand that this hastily response was in reaction to the objections of a letter from an out-of-state group expressing their opposing views to our way of life in Lowndes County and threating legal action if we don’t change and give up our way of life. To that we say – let us threaten them with legal action if they don’t stop harassing us and inciting discontent within our community.
You gentlemen are elected to represent the views of your constituents and the people of Lowndes County while making the best decisions you can for the education of our children. You are the stewards of public trust and the Viking Touchdown Club pledges our support to you as you grapple with this decision. We pray – silently and out loud – for divine guidance for each of you as you deliberate the correct decision. Our support consists not only of vocal and moral support but we also pledge any financial resources that we may have should a legal battle become necessary.
You are all familiar with the adage that for evil to triumph — good men need only to do nothing. I say you again tonight to not do nothing — for you are all good men and this community deserves for you to stand up for them and defend our way of life.
Viking Nation Facebook page
Pregame prayer is traditional here in the Bible Belt – not just at Lowndes High School. Even in court, which is supposed to be secular, prayers are read, Bibles are used to swear in witnesses. However, there remains a divisive undercurrent which pushes to remove “God” from public events like football.
That didn’t hinder the faith.
In a photo captured by Billy Pearson, the East Coweta Indians joined Lowndes High Vikings on the field for a different kind of huddle on September 14.
The topic has been a lightning rod on social media.
At the Monday, September 16, Lowndes County Board of Education meeting, a large group of citizens turned out to show support and speak. Both Crumb, Darrell Presley and Joe Copeland all took to the podium to voice their support of continued freedom of religious expression at the games.
“If we need to come back and have another meeting then by all means we will,” Joe Copeland remarked.
Another man said, “Can we say a prayer for you?” and did so, followed by “Amens” from the crowd and at the end uproarious applause with an even bigger “Amen.”
According to one in attendance, an East Coweta High School football player had been hearing about the prayer issue Lowndes High School was having and wanted to let them know their whole community were plraying for them because they’d been through a similar issue but their administration had “caved.”
As it stands following last night’s meeting, the Board of Education has confidence that going forward a student will be allowed to say a pregame prayer following new policy adopted by Texas and other schools which is well within the bounds of the U.S. Constitution.
The next Board of Education meeting will make a formal vote on the issue.
The next home game will be on Friday, September 20.
