Indiana Released Time Program Challenged

In Morgan County, Indiana, a federal lawsuit has been filed by an elementary school parent challenging the Weekday Religious Education Program offered to Neil Armstrong Elementary School students. IndyStar today reports on the litigation, filed through the ACLU of Indiana. The complaint (full text) alleges that the religious classes are offered from a trailer on school property, and that school officials monitor enrollment and single out students who elect not to participate. Mary Parker, an adviser to Morgan County Schools on the program, said that the trailer is on the edge of school grounds for convenience, and that utilities and other costs are paid by the non-profit group offering the program. However, she said that if necessary to avoid controversy, the location of the program would be moved. 1500 3rd and 4th graders in Morgan and Adams counties participate in the one-hour-per-week Christian education program.