Principal to Teacher: 'You Can't Attend Church if Your Students Are There'

A principal at a Midwest school has been battling against one teacher's religious rights recently, ordering the teacher not to attend a church event that two students were also attending, even though they all attend the same church.

Liberty Counsel says it stepped in to protect the teacher's religious freedom saying the principal's command violated the First Amendment.

The principal was forced to back down from her attempt to block the teacher's church attendance after Liberty contacted the school superintendent.

"Unfortunately, this was not the first incident," Liberty states. "A year ago, this same principal tried to prevent the teacher from leading an after-school, adult-led Bible club which met with parent permission, under the same terms the Scouts meet."

The principal blocked the teacher from leading the club. Then a student tried to lead it as a student-led club. But the principal even chose to deny the student's religious rights.

Liberty Counsel sent a demand letter and the superintendent responded by reversing the principal. This year, only a phone call was necessary to have the principal's order reversed.

"The superintendent correctly reversed the principal's decision to ban teachers from attending the same church events as students," Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel said in a press release. "Teachers acting in their individual capacity after school have the same rights as any others who are not teachers."