Legal Action FORCES School To Remove Ban On Christian Prayer A school in Wyoming banned students from praying in the cafeteria or other public areas. When a Christian legal group brought the courts into the matter, the school quickly changed its mind. The ban came about when a group of students were praying audibly in the cafeteria. The school argued that the students were a captive audience being forced to witness the prayer, and essentially having religion forced upon them. School cafeterias are not religion-free zones, and they certainly do not involve captive audiences, ADF said in a letter letter to the district. Students in the cafeteria are not captive audiences because they can leave at any time or turn away from the quiet prayer in the corner The school released a statement apologizing and admitting their wrongdoing. I feel our staff and district have a better understanding of students rights regarding prayer and how to handle future incidents and consider this incident closed, the school said in a letter responding to ADF. No student should be prevented from engaging in private prayer alone or quietly with other students on campus, ADF Legal Counsel Jonathan Scruggs said in a statement. The U.S. Supreme Court has weighed in on this specifically. The First Amendment protects the right to pray in a non-disruptive manner not just in private but in public, too. The district has done the right thing in lifting its unconstitutional ban. We completely agree with the courts. The students should be allowed to express their Christianity. Do you agree with the courts decision? 