The Freedom From Religion Foundation is calling for an investigation after 26 Alabama high school football players were baptized at midfield in the team’s football stadium, saying the event ostracized non-religious students and gave the appearance of school endorsement.
But Superintendent Joe Windle is having none of it, adding he investigated the matter and found no wrongdoing. He also says he signed off on the baptisms. Players weren’t required to attend, and local pastors performed the baptisms.
The Tallapoosa County Schools head told AL.com — “The coach told me it would happen and I told the coach he couldn’t be involved. He said, ‘I won’t.’
The baptisms took place in the middle of a banner season: Reeltown was 9-1 and eventually advanced to the Class 2A state championship game.
Windle said, “This was a special football year for Reeltown. You know how communities come together with a football team that goes through the playoffs … it energizes the entire community. These kids have been playing together since they were 6 or 7 years old. The 26 players asked the coach: ‘we’ve spent so much time together on this field, can we be baptized at the 50-yard-line?’”
And Windle had some insight for the atheist group from Wisconsin —
“The First Amendment doesn’t convert all public schools into a religion-free zone. It guarantees a separation of religion and we don’t promote religion in this system. But we are not restricting our students from exercising their right to free speech as a student.”