A religious liberty legal group is warning a Central Florida high school over its hosting of “Witchy Wednesday” video announcements and compelling students to receive instructions on moon worship and witch-type rituals.
Liberty Counsel said it sent a demand letter on Sept. 18 to an unidentified public high school in Orange County, Florida, saying it must allow Christian students to air a video countering the witchcraft indoctrination and allow opt-out options for Christians who do not want to be subject to the video announcements.
Liberty Counsel lawyers warn in the five-page letter that airing one viewpoint over another runs afoul of the First Amendment and Supreme Court precedent.
The legal organization, which is headquartered in Orange County, noted that the Bible warns against witchcraft. Specifically, those who engage in “witchcraft … will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:20-21).
“Parents and students with contrary religious beliefs to the religious instruction of ‘Witchy Wednesday’ have the right to opt out,” Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, said in a press release. “The First Amendment does not allow government schools to require this instruction, nor can the school deny differing viewpoints after it has opened its morning announcements forum to student expression.”
Although the letter did not identify the school district, Mr. Staver’s comment noted that “Orange County Public Schools would be wise to proceed by facilitating opt-outs and including other viewpoints.”
A spokesperson for Orange County Public Schools said the district is considering a request for comment by The Washington Times.
The leading case on student free speech rights is the 1969 ruling in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent City School District, in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that students don’t “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”
Liberty Counsel noted the precedent in bolstering its argument against “Witchy Wednesday.”
More recently, the Supreme Court ruled in Mahmoud v. Taylor this year that a school must afford parents a religious opt-out from mandatory story time about LGBTQ issues. The justices reasoned that upholding parents’ religious rights requires schools to give parents an opportunity to remove their children from curricula that contradict their faith.
“The First Amendment compels that District provide any student who desires a religious opt-out to Witchy Wednesday be afforded that option,” Liberty Counsel’s letter reads.
The lawyers asked for a response from the school by Sept. 30.
The first “Witchy Wednesday” video announcement was aired Sept. 10. It included encouragement for students to worship the moon and write down their intentions while burning the paper over a white candle.
“There is a full moon coming up on September 18th where the energy is at its highest peak. Creating simple things like moon water and releasing rituals are good ways to cleanse and recharge yourself during this period,” the script reads, according to Liberty Counsel’s press release.
“In other news, our first ever ‘Witch Tip Spotlight’ is a spell for enlightenment that I call ‘Light of Insight.’ Its purpose is all about inviting clarity, wisdom, and light into your life. You will need a white candle, paper, pen, and incense. You can burn your incense around your area of practice to clear your surrounding energy for a start,” the script reads.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.