From: John Mullins <jmullins@arabcityschools.

org> Early during my rst year (2002-03) as superintendent in Arab, two AHS students approached me and requested to publicly pray before the football games. I consented to this student iniEated request. For ten consecuEve seasons, students have oered prayer prior to each AHS home football game. To my knowledge, unEl now, no one was ever oended by or complained about the pracEce of praying at AHS football games. An aKorney from the Freedom From Religion FoundaEon ,a non-prot group from Madison,Wisconsin, has indicated by leKer (aKached) that a parent of an Arab City school student has led a complaint about our pracEce of permiPng student prayer at football games. AQer conferring with our aKorney, Mr. Clint Maze, I have regreKably concluded that we must disconEnue the pracEce of public prayer at football games. Case law from the United States Supreme Court clearly establishes this type of public school prayer to be unconsEtuEonal. My personal beliefs are that years of judicial interpretaEon have warped the Founding Father's original intent for the separaEon of church and state clause of the First Amendment. However, as law abiding ciEzens, we cannot selecEvely pick and choose which laws to obey. We have an obligaEon to obey them all. Yes, it bothers me that we are being pressured to eliminate public prayer at our football games. However, the annual loss of ve public prayers at home football games cannot and will not control my personal prayer life. Prayer is the act of spending Eme with God in our thoughts. The Freedom From Religion FoundaEon cannot nor will not ever be able to stop you or me from praying. There will be those within our community and/or district who will express their opinion that we should forge on in our support of prayer despite of legaliEes and consequences. I fully understand that perspecEve. However, it is my belief that our school district should spend its Eme, energy, and funds on the beKerment of our children; instead of ghEng a legal baKle that may very well presently be impossible to win. It is also my wish that this issue and the subsequent decision to disconEnue public prayer prior to games does not become the main focus of this Friday night or any future Friday nights. The focus of Friday nights should be our students who comprise our football team, our band, our cheerleading squads, and our spectators. Friday nights are about the Arab Knights! Thank you for allowing me to share my perspecEve with you. Let me thank you in advance for communicaEng to our students and community the facts surrounding this

decision. Finally, let me also thank you for your leadership on this and all other maKers that are important to our district and community.

jm