The Cleveland Metropolitan School District is defending its decision to allow a prominent local pastor to conduct assemblies in public schools, but Today in Ohio podcast hosts said Tuesday the practice blurs the line separating church and state.
Rev. R.A. Vernon, founder and pastor of The Word Church, has been touring Cleveland public schools delivering what the district describes as inspirational messages encouraging regular attendance. The visits have sparked an online debate about the appropriateness of religious leaders speaking to students during school hours.
A local blogger claimed students were calling the events religious church experiences, but a review of one session showed nothing of the sort. Critics question whether Vernon’s role as a Christian religious leader inherently brings religious overtones into what should be a secular public school environment…