A North Carolina public school system required students to attend a religious assembly that included a performance by the Christian boy band 3 Heath Brothers, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
The March 11 school-day event in Lexington, N.C., also included the distribution of a 104-page Bible study and children’s devotional, the nonprofit legal advocacy organization observed in a letter to Davidson County Schools officials.
“A mandatory school assembly where the invited speakers are allowed to proselytize the students flies in the face of history and the law,” AU staff attorney Ian Smith warned in the May 6 letter to Superintendent Gregg Slate and school board members.
On Facebook, the caption for this photo read: “The school mascot with one of the devotionals that we hand in the public schools!”
“When a public school sponsors an event such as an assembly, the school is legally responsible for the message presented; hence the courts have repeatedly held that school activities and events must not be used as opportunities for school employees, students or outsiders to proselytize or to distribute religious messages to students.”
Americans United became involved after receiving a complaint from a parent about the Christian assembly held at Hasty Elementary School, he explained.
“We understand that complaining parents were told that the presentation was ‘misrepresented’ as an anti-bullying assembly. This excuse is ridiculous,” Smith said, adding that “a simple Google search” immediately reveals 3 Heath Brothers is “a Christian band.”
And it doesn’t take too many more clicks to discover teen band members Clayton, Christian and Nicholas Heath advertising a “Public School Tour,” a ministry designed to evangelize families, students and teachers by “sharing Jesus in a place where it’s needed most.”
A crowdsourcing page titled “3HB’s 2025 Spring Semester Public School Fund” proclaims more than $18,000 has been raised so far “to support our work in public schools.”
In a December Facebook video posted by Keys for Kids Ministries, Nicholas Heath said the band has performed in more than 100 public schools and for more than 50,000 public school students.
The ministry was made possible, he said, “by God opening a bunch of amazing doors” enabling the band “to go in and share the gospel. And it’s not like we can’t mention the name of Jesus. We’re actually singing songs about Jesus in these public schools, and it’s a really amazing thing.”
But it costs about $3,000 for each school performance, “and so today we are asking you all to be a part of this ministry to bring the message of Jesus Christ into those public schools.”
Americans United has cautioned the band from staging openly Christian concerts at public schools.
“We have become aware that the 3 Heath Brothers have presented numerous religious assemblies at public schools in North Carolina. We write to inform you that religious presentations in public schools violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” Smith wrote the band’s manager.
The letter also was intended “to put you on notice that private, non-governmental entities such as the 3 Heath Brothers may be held legally liable for violating students’ and parents’ constitutional rights when acting jointly with a public school to present an assembly containing religious content.”
Smith cited the group’s crowdsourcing effort as a clear intent to violate constitutional principles and advised the band to leave religious instruction up to families instead of public schools.
Ian Smith
“We understand that your public-school performances include religious music performed by the 3 Heath Brothers as well as distribution of a 104-page youth religious devotional and Bible study book. Presentation of this material at a school-sponsored assembly during the school day is a flagrant violation of the Establishment Clause.”
Religious content must be removed from performances at public schools to ensure the messaging “is wholly secular, it does not proselytize, no student is compelled to engage in religious activity, and no religious books or other handouts are distributed to students,” AU explained.
In its letter to the school district, Americans United called the March assembly “a flagrant violation” of the constitution and especially troubling because a high-ranking school official reportedly was present.
“Moreover, we understand that at least one member of the Board of Education, Nick Jarvis, may have been present at the assembly and subsequently expressed support for the message presented. This is completely unacceptable,” Smith cautioned.
“Please ensure that no future proselytizing assemblies are held during the school day at schools within the district, that district students are never again coerced into religious activities, and that Davidson County Schools officials are educated in their constitutional responsibilities to ensure the separation of church and state,” AU urged.
Neither the band nor the school district have responded publicly to AU’s concerns.
The 3 Heath Brothers has been described as a “Christian boy band” and is comprised of three brothers: Nicholas, Clayton and Christian Heath. Clayton and Christian are identical twins. Their father, Jonathan Heath, is pastor of Faith Community Chapel in Thomasville, N.C.