SaferSchools.org - A Site Focusing on the Issue of Prayer in Public Schools

Question: Are there any circumstances in which a student of a public school can constitutionally pray over the school's public address system, on school property, at a school sponsored event?

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One wishing to study the issue of prayer, as presented on this website, should take the following steps in the following suggested order:
Before jumping into the materials below, first read the new materials listed to the right under "Spotlight."

Next, read "Summary of the State of the Law: Prayer in Public Schools" to get a short 2 1/2 page overview of the current state of the law. Click here to go directly to the Summary.

Then, proceed as follows into the more indepth materials:

First,read the law review article, Those Dangerous Student Prayers, before proceeding to other areas of the website. This is important because the article will provide the information that will be the basis for understanding the remainder of the website. The article represents the most current treatise on the subject of school prayer and includes a discussion of the most recent federal decisions. The article is purposefully written in a style that is easily understandable by non-attorneys. Click here to go to the law review article.

Note: To return to the homepage at any time, click on the SaferSchools.org logo in the top left-hand corner of each page or click on the HOME icon at the top and bottom of each page.

Second, after completing the law review article, read the Model Student Speaker Policies For Public Schools. These are the most current, updated versions of the polices analyzed in the law review article. Click here to go to the Model Policies page.

Third, read Steps Students, Parents, and the Community Can Take. Click here to go to the Steps page.

Fourth, to view additional information on the subject of school prayer, go to Editorials and Other Information. From this single page, one may access individual videos, editorials, articles, editorial cartoons, and other information. Click here to go to the Editorials & Other Information page.

Fifth, the law firm of Coghlan & Associates may be retained to assist with school district compliance. Click here to go to the Contact page.

Sixth, there are a number of non-profit legal organizations that focus on the subject of religious liberties. Anyone having a legal issue regarding religious freedoms may contact these organizations directly. Weblinks have been provided to instantly take the reader to the websites of these various organizations. Click here to go to the Links page.

Houston Chronicle Editorial, "Shock and awe of a resurgence in school prayer" by Kelly Coghlan. May 1, 2003. Click here to view.

U.S. Department of Education's "Guidance on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools." Click here to go directly to the Department of Education's website.

Texas State Board of Education's Resolution recommending adoption of a particular type of student speaker policy to comply with the law. Click here to view the Resolution.

Newest version of the student speaker policy recommended for adoption by public schools. This is the same policy recommended by the State Board of Education but has been updated to reflect the new language of the U.S. Department of Education's prayer guidance for public schools. Kelly Coghlan authored both the earlier and current version of the student speaker policies.

For more than six years, Kelly Coghlan has led an effort to have the federal courts provide an answer to the following question: "Are there any circumstances in which a student of a public school can constitutionally pray over a school's public address system, on school property, at a school sponsored event?" the answer is clearly a resounding "YES"!

Mr. Coghlan is an attorney in Houston, Texas, a cum laude and Order of the Coif graduate of the Southern Methodist University School of Law and a cum laude and M Award graduate of the Southern Methodist University School of Business. His principle areas of practice are litigation, school law, and constitutional law.

He is a Fellow of the Houston Bar Association and a Fellow of the College of the State Bar of Texas. Mr. Coghlan represented 159 Santa Fe High School students and parents pro bono as amici curiae before the United States Supreme Court in Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe and continues to represent Marian Ward pro bono in Ward v. Santa Fe Independent School District, having obtained the first injunction issued by a federal court to prevent a school district from punishing a student for praying. Mr. Coghlan was named an Impact Player of the Year in 1999 by The Texas Lawyer for his work in school law matters.

Mr. Coghlan authored a law review article on the subject of school prayer, published by the St. Mary's Law Journal, entitled Those Dangerous Student Prayers, Vol. 32, Number 4, at 809-880 (2001). It is one of the most current treatises on the subject and includes an in depth discussion and analysis of the most recent federal cases. With permission of the author, the law review article has been reproduced in its entirety on this website. Additionally, the Model Student Speaker Policies For Public Schools which are discussed in the law review article-which would permit, but not require, voluntary student prayer-have also been reprinted in their entirety on this website.