
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 18, 1994                    TAG: 9406160018 
SECTION: FRONT                     PAGE: A12    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: Short 
DATELINE: 940618                                 LENGTH:

ZEALOTS BRING CHURCH INTO SCHOOLS

{LEAD} Bonnie Nance Pryor is 100 percent correct in her assumption that Christian Coalition zealots have forgotten that the U.S. Constitution guarantees separation of church and state, as well as the freedom to practice any religion we choose (letter, May 23).

I learned firsthand in 1990 just how these people think when I had to fight them in federal court in Jacksonville, Fla. The Nassau County School Board of Fernandina Beach, Fla., against the advice of its own attorney, but backed by the Christian Coalition and its lawyers, attempted to continue to force its religious views on the children in the school system.

{REST} It was a very long and hard-fought battle, but with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union and the support of many concerned teachers, ministers and parents, we succeeded in forcing the School Board to abide by the Constitution and cease forcing its religious beliefs on the students.

I hope that Ms. Pryor, her family and friends continue in their attempts to prevent these zealots from infringing our guaranteed freedoms.

DONALD R. HATCH

Chesapeake, May 26, 1994

by CNB