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Parents Bothered By Religious Message During Eagles' Visit
NEWARK, Del. -- The principal of a Delaware high school has apologized after some parents and students objected to a Christian-themed assembly featuring two members of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The players, Tra Thomas and Thomas Tapeh, say their presentation at Newark High School on Tuesday encouraged students to "be a leader, not a follower. Don't worry about what everybody else is doing."
Thomas is founder and spokesman for Athletes United for Christ, and a projection of the organization's logo was shown throughout the presentation. The also athletes urged students to attend an upcoming rally and concert for high school students Nov. 4 at the Living Faith Christian Center in Pennsauken, N.J.
That, and the fact that students weren't told in advance what to expect, bothered Becky Ashley, whose daughter is a student at the school.
"As a parent of a child in a public school, I am uncomfortable with the fact that an evangelical organization can come into a public assembly that is a promotional event for an evangelical Christian concert," Ashley told The (Wilmington) News Journal.
Elizabeth Wickersham, whose son attended the assembly said her 17-year-old was excited about seeing Eagles players but found it "pretty weird" that the school would allow a "Christian presentation."
Wednesday, principal Emmanuel Caulk sent a letter home to parents apologizing for the assembly.
"Neither the preliminary literature nor subsequent conversations expressly stated that the content of the presentation was nonsecular in nature," Caulk wrote. "On the contrary, the literature focused on values, choices and challenges that adolescents face in today's society."
But promoter Angela Brown said she made it very clear what Thomas would be talking about and the organization with which he was affiliated.
Thomas said he assumed everyone knew his promotional tour was connected to his organization. He said he's heard similar complaints after speaking at other public schools.
"We're not out preaching," he said. "What we're trying to do is to help the kids make better decisions in life. I guess I understand," why some people objected, "because you have other religions there. But we're not preaching to the kids."
Caulk said he's looking into ways to ensure that "we're not misled again, and create a procedure on how to intervene once the true nature of an event is discovered."
Drewry Fennell, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said such miscommunications were part of a nationwide trend.
"Organizations like this one across the country are gaining access to schools through the famous people and entertainment value and then using those opportunities to proselytize," she said. "These organizations sometimes take advantage of the schools' desire to provide compelling experiences for their students."
Thomas said he's just trying to help.
"I'm just trying to get them to identify with me, the person, rather than just Tra Thomas, the football player, so we can relate to each other better," he said. "And my Christianity is a big part of what I am."
NEWARK, Del. -- The principal of a Delaware high school has apologized after some parents and students objected to a Christian-themed assembly featuring two members of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The players, Tra Thomas and Thomas Tapeh, say their presentation at Newark High School on Tuesday encouraged students to "be a leader, not a follower. Don't worry about what everybody else is doing."
Thomas is founder and spokesman for Athletes United for Christ, and a projection of the organization's logo was shown throughout the presentation. The also athletes urged students to attend an upcoming rally and concert for high school students Nov. 4 at the Living Faith Christian Center in Pennsauken, N.J.
That, and the fact that students weren't told in advance what to expect, bothered Becky Ashley, whose daughter is a student at the school.
"As a parent of a child in a public school, I am uncomfortable with the fact that an evangelical organization can come into a public assembly that is a promotional event for an evangelical Christian concert," Ashley told The (Wilmington) News Journal.
Elizabeth Wickersham, whose son attended the assembly said her 17-year-old was excited about seeing Eagles players but found it "pretty weird" that the school would allow a "Christian presentation."
Wednesday, principal Emmanuel Caulk sent a letter home to parents apologizing for the assembly.
"Neither the preliminary literature nor subsequent conversations expressly stated that the content of the presentation was nonsecular in nature," Caulk wrote. "On the contrary, the literature focused on values, choices and challenges that adolescents face in today's society."
But promoter Angela Brown said she made it very clear what Thomas would be talking about and the organization with which he was affiliated.
Thomas said he assumed everyone knew his promotional tour was connected to his organization. He said he's heard similar complaints after speaking at other public schools.
"We're not out preaching," he said. "What we're trying to do is to help the kids make better decisions in life. I guess I understand," why some people objected, "because you have other religions there. But we're not preaching to the kids."
Caulk said he's looking into ways to ensure that "we're not misled again, and create a procedure on how to intervene once the true nature of an event is discovered."
Drewry Fennell, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said such miscommunications were part of a nationwide trend.
"Organizations like this one across the country are gaining access to schools through the famous people and entertainment value and then using those opportunities to proselytize," she said. "These organizations sometimes take advantage of the schools' desire to provide compelling experiences for their students."
Thomas said he's just trying to help.
"I'm just trying to get them to identify with me, the person, rather than just Tra Thomas, the football player, so we can relate to each other better," he said. "And my Christianity is a big part of what I am."
