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Georgia school district rolls out new policy for handling prayer before football games, after receiving backlash

Students will be allowed to present anything before the game, including songs, poems, or prayers.

LOWNDES COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia school district is making headlines after changing the way they deal with prayers led by students at football games.

According to WALB, Lowndes High School is moving forward in their tradition of allowing students to pray at home games. 

This comes after prayer wasn't allowed on the Sept. 6 game. WALB reports the Freedom From Religion Foundation reached out to the school system saying the weekly prayer was unconstitutional. When the prayer was omitted at that game, many students and fans became upset.

Now, the Lowndes County Schools Board of Education has announced a new policy that will allow the student-led prayers to continue. However, the policy comes with slight changes. Students will be allowed to present anything before the game, including songs, poems, or prayers. 

“We knew coming in after our meeting last week that we had to put some work on it, because our constituents were not going to let us say no way,” Board Chairman Dave Clark told WALB.

The policy states the students will be chosen by the administration at the high school based on academics and program. It will then be up to the student if they want to say a prayer or not.

WALB also spoke with an attorney for the Freedom from Religion Foundation, who believes the new policy is alarming.

"I presume we'll see that every single message is going to be a prayer," said Chris Line.

The school board will have a second reading of the policy in October, but students have the chance to pray at this Friday's game if they choose to do so.

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