We, the citizens of Bulloch County, believe that our civil liberties have been infringed upon as a result of the Board Of Education’s guidelines in religious expression as follows: Teachers are required to remove scripture from the signature line in their email. Teachers are not allowed to have any religious items or scripture posted in their classrooms, on their desks, or on their computers. Teachers are required to remove themselves from student-led prayers.

We believe that these activities are not in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment as long as they are a form of private expression and not an attempt to indoctrinate or instill beliefs in students. We also believe that we, the citizens of Bulloch County, are of sound mind and civil conscience and, as such, are fully capable of discerning what is best for our particular culture. We believe that the BOE must be empathetic to those who have complaints but are not required to give in to demands made by outside organizations who do not understand our community. We, as a community, desire to have a good relationship with our BOE and school system officials and understand that it is in everyone’s best interest to work towards a common good that is fair to all those involved.

We do hereby petition the Bulloch County Board of Education to appoint an organized group with representatives from across the religious and political spectrum to serve as a liaison between the community and BOE. This group should include all stakeholders in the debate and be committed to a fair process in determining policies and resolving conflicts regarding religious expression in our school system.