AMERICANS ITED (202) 466-3234 1310 Street NW Fan SEPARATION or: (202) 466-3353 (fax) SUiie 200 CHURCH AND STATE Washington. DC 20005 August 23, 2018 By U.S. Mail Email Shannon Stein, Superintendent Lake Norman Charter 12435 South Old Statesville Road Huntersville, NC 28078 SStein@lncharter.org Craig Smith, Principal Lake Norman Charter High School 12701 S. Old Statesville Road Huntersville, NC 28078 CSmith@lncharter.org Re: High School graduation held in church Dear Ms. Stein and Mr. Smith: We have received a complaint regarding Lake Norman Charter High School?s 2018 graduation held at Park Church in Charlotte, NC. Religious messages and iconography, including two large banners with multiple Bible verses, were visible to attendees. Public schools exist to serve all schoolchildren regardless of faith or belief and must be welcoming to all. Using a church as a graduation venue disrespects the beliefs of students and their families. It also violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Establishment Clause prohibits public schools from taking any action that communicates ?endorsement of religion.? Santa Fe Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Doe, 530 U.S. 290, 305 (2000). The Clause also guarantees that ?government may not coerce anyone to support or participate in religion or its exercise.? Lee 0. Weisman, 505 U.S. 577, 587 (1992). Thus, no governmental entity ?can force [or] in?uence a person to go to or remain away from church against his will.? Everson v. Board of Educ, 330 U.S. 1, 15 (1947). And because students are impressionable and their attendance at school is mandatory, courts are ?particularly vigilant? about enforcing these principles in the ?special context of the public elementary and secondary school system.? Edwards 0. Aguillard, 482 U.S. 578, 583-84 (1987). The federal courts have therefore prohibited public schools from holding graduations in churches. See, Doe ex rel. Doe v. Eimbrook Sch. Dist, 687 F.3d 840, 853?855 (7th Cir. 2012) (en banc) (prohibiting public school from holding graduations and honors ceremonies in church, because ?the sheer religiosity of the space created a likelihood that high school students and their younger siblings would perceive a link between church and state,? and the school district impermissibly ?direct[ed] students to attend a pervasively Christian, proselytizing environment?); Does v. Enfield Pub. Scha, 716 F. Supp. 2d 172, 192, 201?02 (D. Conn. 2010) (graduation ceremony in church required students ?to undertake the act of entering a place of religious worship? and conveyed that the school district was ?closely linked with [the church] and its religious mission?), appeal dismissed as moot, No. 10- 2247 (2d Cir. Aug. 17, 2010); Musgrove v. Brevard Cty. Sch. Bd., 60118 F. Supp. 2d 1303, 1305- 06 (M. D. Fla. 2005) hold a graduation ceremony. a religious institution that has displayed a giant cross is. c.0ntrary to Supreme1 Court precedent?); Reimann v. Fremont Cty. Joint Sch. Dist. No. 215, Civil No. 80- 4059, 1980 WL 590189 (D. Idaho May 22, 1980) (enjoining public-school graduation in church); Lemke v. Black, 376 F. Supp. 87, 89 (ED. Wis. 1974) (enjoining public- school graduation in church because is cruel to force any individual to violate his conscience in order to participate?). Please do not host future graduations or other school events at churches. We would appreciate a response to this letter within thirty days that advises us how you plan to proceed. If you have any questions, you may contact Ian Smith at (202) 466-3234 or ismith@au.org. Sincerely, was Richard B. Katskee, Legal Director Ian Smith, Staff Attorney