DCPS Board Members Charlotte Joyce and April Carney want to allow students to pray together during their lunch break BUT not allow them to stand together in opposition or support of a political issue.

I didn’t feature Charlotte Joyce or April Carney in this YouTube video, but you can hear Joyce briefly interrupt Cindy Pearson. Joyce points out that it’s state law that children can be excused from school for religious instruction without it being counted as an unexcused absence. In the clip, Pearson and Joyce briefly mention Lifewise picking students up and taking them to a Bible Study class off campus.

Here’s a few clips of the April 22 DCPS board meeting where school board members are discussing changing Board Policy 5.27:
https://youtu.be/-0uErjaRBXs?si=mnoxyUqNY7dGsvus

Let me know if you disagree (and why you disagree) with what I said to the DCPS Board:
Honorable School Board Members,
Religious freedom is a fundamental right in the US. Christian Nationalists (based on how I’m defining the term) do not like it that other religions also have religious freedom.

I am beginning to understand that our free speech rights also entail religious speech. A group of students praying is similar to a group of students talking about a political policy they support or oppose. The rules have to apply to both.

In both instances, the concern (for me) is that other students are NOT bullied, harassed, or shamed if they do or don’t want to participate in the protest or prayer vigil.

Please leave policy 5.27 as it is with the possible exception of stating that unauthorized people (including the media) can be asked to leave school property at the discretion of school administrators.

Thanks,
Susan

Here’s the policy 5.27 that DCPS Board Members Joyce and Carney want changed:

https://www.duvalschools.org/o/dcps/page/chapter-5-students

They want to ban student protests completely.