Area School Boards Will Bow to Bible, Prayer Ban-This Day in Norwood History-July 18, 1963

Local Systems To Comply With Ruling of Courts

While local school officials are tuned to developments in the directive of the U.S. Supreme Court, which forbids Bible reading and recitation of the Lord’s Prayer for devotional or religious purposes in the public schools, no official action by school committees in the Norwood area is apparent.

It would appear that the dictates of the Supreme Court will be observed here. No emergency board meetings have been called for discussion of the matter. Attorney General Edward W. Brooke last week ruled that school committees must abide by the decision of the Supreme Court over the Statutes of the Commonwealth.

“We will comply with the law,” declared Dr. Philip O. Coakley, speaking for the Norwood Schools. At the last administrative meeting in June, principals of the Norwood schools received copies of the directive of the State Department of Education with verbal Instructions from Superintendent Coakley that Norwood would comply with the law. Members of the School Committee were also alerted to the ruling handed down by the Supreme Court.

In a statement today, Dr. Coakley remarked that the orientation meeting for new teachers scheduled for August 29 and 30 would consider the matter again with a further discussion at the first general teacher’s meeting after Labor Day.

Superintendent John F. Powers stated that he was prepared to recommend that the Walpole Schools abide by the decision of the Supreme Court. Although no official school committee action has been taken, the matter is on the agenda for this week’s regular meeting. It is assumed that Westwood, also, will follow the dictates of the courts.

Superintendent Erwin A. Gallagher gave assurance that there would be an official statement by the School Committee prior to the opening of schools in September. At press time, the matter was not on the agenda for the regular Thursday meeting of the School Board.

Superintendent William H Galvin stated that the Canton Schools look to a ruling from the Department of Education for further clarification of the directive of the U.S. Supreme Court. The School Committee does not meet regularly during July and August and the matter was tabled at the last regular meeting. A special meeting of the Committee is anticipated pending a further directive from the State Department.

The directive of the State Department of Education to chairmen of school committees and superintendents of schools, dated June 17th. reads in part as follows:

“We now have a final determination by the U.S. Supreme Court in these cases which held that the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer and the reading of the Bible for devotional and religious purposes is unconstitutional. Since the Decision of the U S. Supreme Court is the law of the land, we accordingly advise the public school authorities that as a result of this decision the Lord’s Prayer may not be recited nor may there be a reading of the Bible for devotional or religious purposes in the public schools,”

A follow-up from the office of the Attorney General last week charged that local school committees must obey this decision. The Statutes of the Commonwealth provide for the reading of the Bible, without comment, and/or the recitation of a prayer as a regular practice in the public schools.

Traditionally, schools have incorporated Bible reading as a part of the “opening exercises” including the salute to the flag and perhaps a song, sung in unison by members of the class. Opening exercises are as much a part of the public school program as the daily taking of attendance. Since it plays such an important part in setting the tone for a day’s work at school, the program will most likely be adhered to although strong revision will be incorporated in keeping with the ruling of the Supreme Court.

By WILLIAM J. MARTIN, JR.

(All articles were originally published in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)