Supporters Hold Prayer Rally Outside Rabun Schools

RABUN COUNTY, Ga. - Dozens of people gathered together in prayer Friday morning to support a school district mired in religious controversy.

Earlier this week, the American Humanist Association sent a letter to the Rabun County Schools, on behalf of at least one parent, demanding a wooden sign that reads "Jesus" in the school district parking lot, be taken down. 

The AHA letter alleges that Rabin County Elementary School Principal Lisa Patterson closed graduation ceremonies last spring with Christian prayers.  The complaint demands that the district guarantee in writing that prayers will no longer be allowed at school functions. 

Now, some members of the community say it is up to them to keep prayer alive for their children.

"It's not the responsibility of the principal to pray," said Pastor Adam Wright of Wiley Church of God.  "It's the responsibility of the parents to pray and I hope this has [woken] up a lot of families to remind them what we need to be doing." 

But some in the community disagree.

"Go back to saying the prayers before school starts and the Pledge of Allegiance. Bring God back into our children's lives and quit taking it away from them," grandparent Clarice Nichols commented.

Parent Kayla English was at the graduation where Principal Patterson allegedly prayed with the crowd. 

"She is a Christian lady and you can tell it by her movements, by everything and I just think she is awesome," the mother of two said.

Rabun County's superintendent declined to comment on the AHA letter and referred questions to the district's attorney.