School in New Mexico Removes Religious Mural

A New Mexico public school had to paint over a mural with a bible quote, after the parent of a student complained that it violated the separation of church and state.

A public school in Clovis, New Mexico recently painted over a mural that featured a biblical quote. The mural, which was displayed in a public school hallway, displayed an anchor, a dove, and religious scripture. The scripture was Hebrews 6;19 which reads “Hope anchors the soul.” Since 2013, the mural had been displayed in the halls of the Clovis public school, and the school reported that most individuals in the area were not offended by the mural. This case highlights an example of both what is appropriate to display in a school as well as why the school did not contemplate using any alternatives.

Prior Case History

The reason to remove the mural came after the public school received a complaint from a parent of a student at the school. The parent proceeded to initiate a complaint with the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The Freedom from Religious Foundation proceeded to notify the public school’s superintendent to remind the school’s management about the critical distinction between church and state in this country. The Foundation argued that the school was violating neutral religion requirements by essentially promoting Christianity and displaying a preference. Under these laws, which are located in the United States Constitution, it is unlawful to display religious messages or symbols inside public schools because this type of activity is seen to display a preference for one religion over all other religions or individuals who do not have a religion.

With this constitutional foundation, courts have continually held that school are prohibited from displaying religious iconography. The Freedom from Religion Foundation additionally noted in its letter that the removal of this message was particularly important because approximately 35% of those individuals born after 1981 are not religious. As a result, the Foundation argued that many individuals are at risk of feeling alienated due to these types of messages. Within half an hour of receiving the letter by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the Clovis Municipal Schools Superintendent informed the group that the school was preparing to paint over the wall to remove the mural.

The Unique Question Presented by the Case

While the school district was quick in removing the mural, the school district has declined to comment about why no previous concerns had been raised about the mural’s presence. Reports indicate that the mural was painted by a former art teacher at the school. The Freedom from Religion Foundation has questioned why the school did not use a similar literary quote instead. The Freedom from Religion Foundation is a national group that monitors potential violations concerning the separation between church and state. The group is also focused on educating individuals about issues relating to nontheism.

The Goal of the Universal Life Church’s Blog

This case highlights how laws have been applied concerning the separation between church and state. By reading the Universal Life Church’s blog, you can remain up-to-date about the various developments concerning the separation of church and state.

(image courtesy of Redd Angelo)