The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote a letter to Frisco ISD Friday expressing concern over a “prayer room” in one of the district’s schools.
Liberty High School has an empty classroom where students can pray during the school day. Deputy Attorney General Andrew Leonie’s letter to Frisco ISD’s superintendent questioned the legality of the prayer room, saying the room is dedicated to Islamic students and excludes other religions.
“Liberty High School’s policy should be neutral toward religion,” the letter reads. “However, it appears that students are being treated different based on their religious beliefs. Such a practice, of course, is irreconcilable with our nation’s enduring commitment to religious liberty.”
The letter references a March 3 article in the Liberty High School Campus Wingspan -- the school’s student-run news outlet -- that says the prayer room “addresses the religious needs of some students.”
The letter asks that the room be accessible to students of all religions, citing religious liberty protected by the First Amendment.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent a tweet Friday afternoon saying, "The Texas Attorney General is looking into the Public School Prayer Room issue many of you have questioned."
Frisco ISD did not provide an official statement regarding the letter, but a district representative told WFAA that it is in communication with the attorney general’s office to clarify that the school is in compliance with state and federal laws.
The representative said the prayer room is open to students practicing any religion. There have been no complaints about the prayer room since it was first offered in 2009, the district says.
Read the letter from the attorney general’s office to Frisco ISD Superintendent Jeremy Lyon below or here.
