AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2000

http://www.atheists.org
http://www.americanatheist.org


                   AMERICAN ATHEISTS CALLS FOR PROBE OF
                       MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL VIOLATION
            Christian Fellowship of Athletes promotes "anarchy"

    In letters to U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno and Mississippi State
Attorney General Mike Moore, American Atheists has called for a probe into
a religious "revival" involving public school students, administrators,
teachers, and school property.
    American Atheists President Ellen Johnson charged that on April 12,
2000, a principal and other school officials at the Pearl River Central High
School in southern Mississippi readily canceled regular classes in order to
permit a religious revival taking place in the school gymnasium to continue
until the end of the regular school day.
    "According to published reports, school principal Lolita Lee stood by as
students cut classes for a 90-minute religious show sponsored by the
Christian Fellowship of Athletes," said Ms. Johnson.  "The event dragged on
until 3:30 in the afternoon, and Lee canceled regular school instructional
activities so that this unconstitutional gathering could continue."
    Ms. Johnson noted that Ms. Lee contacted a school superintendent, and
permitted the religious gathering "to run out of control into the regular
school periods in the afternoon."
    "Something is very wrong when school principals lose control of their
students, or sanction a sectarian religious event in lieu of a proper
education," said Ms. Johnson.
    Ron Barrier, National Spokesman for American Atheists, said that this
event displays the "bankruptcy of religious ethics as well as the
ineffectiveness of the government's current guidelines about state-church
separation in public schools.
    "It is obvious that these guidelines on school behavior are simply being
ignored by off-campus religious groups.   Working with sympathetic officials
like Principal Lee - these bible clubs and other student groups continue to
probe for schemes to bring religion into the public school."
    Press reports have noted that the revival was "spontaneous."
    "Hogwash," said Mr. Barrier.  "Steven Spielerg couldn't have scripted it
better."
    "I have always maintained that there is no such thing as bible clubs.
These 'clubs' are fronts for evangelicals whose primary focus is not
theological study, but free access to the highly impressionable minds of
young students - especially when those students are beyond parental
supervision - for the purposes of recruitment, conversion, and mob-rule."

For more information, please contact:
Ellen Johnson, President             (973)334-5110
Ron Barrier, Spokesperson       (718)967-6453

American Atheists, Inc.
P.O. Box 5733
Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733
Tel: (908)276-7300
Fax: (908)276-7402