Atlanta Suburb Challenged On Use of Mega-Church for Graduation Ceremonies

An Atlanta (GA) suburb-- Cherokee County-- is facing objections from Americans United for Separation of Church and State to the county school district's practice of holding its graduation ceremonies in a local mega-church. The First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Georgia seats 5,000 people and charges the school board only $2,000 for use of the building. According to today's Atlanta Journal Constitution, a comparable secular venue would cost up to $40,000 to rent. Using the school's own gym would limit the number of people who could attend. On Thursday, the Cherokee School Board voted to table a motion on the graduation site so that the three new incoming school board members can take part in the decision. Americans United says that it plans to make similar requests of other metro Atlanta school boards.