Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and Attorney General Todd Rokita are being invoked in efforts to reverse a public school’s response to a constitutional violation in Delphi.
Here’s what actually happened:
After a parent raised concerns, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a legal letter outlining long-settled Supreme Court precedent. Delphi Community School Corporation reviewed that law with counsel and discontinued an on-campus, school-day religious instruction program.
That decision was legally required.
Now, local advocates are circulating claims from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) asserting that the school’s legal analysis was wrong and that the program can be “restored.”
That claim is misleading.
ADF is an advocacy organization, not a neutral authority on constitutional law. Its position does not override Supreme Court precedent or a school district’s legal obligations. No state official — and no legislation — can retroactively legalize religious instruction conducted inside public schools during the school day.
Context matters:
Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith has publicly described himself as a Christian nationalist, a worldview that rejects church-state separation — the very principle public schools are required to uphold.
If a religious program operates off-campus, outside instructional time, without school involvement, that is legally distinct.
What Delphi discontinued was an on-site school-day program, which public schools are prohibited from hosting.
This isn’t about faith.
It’s about students’ rights and the Constitution.
Public schools serve all students:
• Christian
• non-Christian
• religious
• non-religious
They cannot favor one belief system using public authority.
Delphi did the responsible thing.
They protected students’ rights.
They followed the Constitution.
That should not be controversial.
#PublicSchoolsNotPulpits
#ChurchStateSeparation
#IndianaSchools
#ReleasedTime
#KnowTheLaw
What people are saying:
- Secular Education Association: Tagging for visbility
Facebook User
Facebook User
Facebook User
Facebook User - Facebook User: As a progressive Christian I believe Christian Nationalism is not in favor of Democracy.
- Facebook User: Separation of church and state …good job Delphi Schools!!
- Facebook User: I truly hope this program is permanently removed. No independent group has the right to push their religious beliefs on to children in a public school setting. And this whole thing smacks of peer pressure and a formalized attempt to make sure all children in this school follow a particular ideological belief system. NO. If I want my child to have a formal religious education, I will send them to a religious school. Otherwise, hands off.
- Facebook User: Religion is not in favor of true education. Only indoctrination.
- Facebook User: Keep all religion and religions out of public schools.
- Facebook User: Beckwith doesn’t know the constitution anyway.
- Facebook User: They sure love the Constitution until they don’t.
- Facebook User: The U.S. is not a Christian Nation, it is a nation where you are free to be a Christian, or any other religion, or non-religious. This means public institutions must treat all beliefs equally and because it’s impractical to provide support for all religious beliefs equally, the alternative is to support no religious beliefs.
- Facebook User: What happened to Sunday school?
- Facebook User: Facebook User since when was sunday school in public school system??????
- Facebook User: Facebook User you missed my point.
- Facebook User: Facebook User Never, honey.
- Facebook User: Whose religion do you want taught? If parents are so interested in their children learn religion then it is YOUR responsibility to teach them. Not the teachers.
- Facebook User: Religious institution has no place in public schools!
- Facebook User: Facebook User
- Facebook User: No religion in public school!
- Facebook User: Facebook User Facebook User
- Facebook User: Religion and education should remain separate.
- Facebook User: Facebook User Are you from the Secular Education Group that does not understand the U.S. Constitution?
- Facebook User: Attend a parochial school if you want religion to be part of your child’s education. Homeschool them, or attend church or whatever you want, outside of the school day with your children. Separation of church and state is pretty black and white. It’s not complicated. Don’t send your kids to public schools if you want religious studies and/or worship, as part of the curriculum. Period!!
- Facebook User: Shout it from the rooftops…or Facebook or pbs. Even Foxt.
- Facebook User: Well said
- Facebook User: I didn’t know students rights were violated. Does that mean they were forced to attend
- Facebook User: Facebook User
- Facebook User: Literally attended this school as a child and we were forced to do this in I believe 3rd grade. As an atheist it was the most eye rolling experience. I was taught “important” things like we couldn’t say “X-Mas” since it crosses out Christ (totally not the reason, it’s a symbol representing Christ back during Roman era)
Glad to see it finally dismantled.
- Facebook User: With the GOP, the Constitution only applies as needed
- Facebook User: So they are going to pass a law in the Indiana legislature to overrule the US constitution? Those people are such brilliant legal scholars.
- Facebook User: I question how removing students from public school class to attend religious instruction offsite doesn’t cause missed instructional time for state mandated curriculum. Parents can exercise their parental rights to enroll their child in a parochial school, or attend a church that offers religious instruction.
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