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Parents tell Ashland City School Board they hear religious messaging in classrooms; board pledges legal review
Summary
Two parents urged the Ashland City School Board to address what they called religious 'encroachment' in schools, citing letters from the Freedom From Religion Foundation and specific classroom and assembly examples; Superintendent Paramore said LifeWise is a parent-choice pullout program and the district will review complaints and legal obligations.
Several Ashland City parents told the school board on Sept. 22 that religious messaging and programming have become commonplace in classrooms and at school events, and urged the district to protect students’ right to a religiously neutral public education.
Alexander Emmons, a parent of two Ashland students, told the board he has documented concerns he said were reported to the Freedom From Religion Foundation in July and December 2024. Emmons said two songs with explicitly religious lyrics were performed at a May 2025 school assembly and that teachers or officials have, at times, promoted LifeWise, a religiously based, off‑campus pullout program. “We must keep the integrity of that principle in place,” Emmons told the board, citing the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and asking the district to reduce proselytizing in school settings.
Superintendent Michael Paramore (identified in the meeting as Mister Paramore) responded that LifeWise is offered only by parent permission, occurs off school property as a pullout program, and does not replace core classroom instruction. Paramore said he had received the cited communications and that a specific classroom concern was handled through building administration; he added that the district will follow correct complaint protocols, consult legal counsel if needed and ensure the district acts within the law.
Board members asked clarifying questions about whether staff were promoting LifeWise, how administrators handled prior complaints, and what legal standards apply. One member noted that thousands of districts use LifeWise and emphasized the board’s duty to “stay within the law.” Another member said the district would seek definitive guidance from the district attorney or district counsel.
Later in the public‑comment period, Erin Rice, a newcomer to Ashland and parent of elementary‑age children, said classroom messages and music with Christian content have led some families to feel excluded. Rice asked the board to see school spaces from the perspective of newcomers and to consider whether classroom displays and end‑of‑year celebrations might make non‑Christian families feel ‘othered.’
Board members thanked both parents for speaking, said they would personally follow up and reiterated that parents are welcome to raise concerns with building administrators. The board did not take a formal action on the matter at the meeting; members said they would review the allegations, consult counsel as needed, and report back.
