By Bob Allen
A mass baptism on a high school football field violated policy but was done without malicious intent, according to an investigation by the county superintendent.
Carroll County School Superintendent Scott Cowart said in a statement to the Times-Georgian newspaper in Carrollton, Ga., that Glen Harding, principal of Villa Rica High School, gave the city’s First Baptist Church permission to use the field after school on Aug. 17 but was unaware that students or coaches would be involved in the activity.
That decision put the west Georgia community in the center of a controversy over separation of church and state, when video posted online by the church showed team members and a coach being dunked in a makeshift baptistery before football practice.
The school district launched its investigation after receiving a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a secularist group based in Wisconsin, calling it “an egregious constitutional violation.”
“From the investigation, the school district has concluded that VRHS failed to follow district facility usage procedures for outside groups using school facilities,” the school system said in a statement. “There were also concerns regarding the timing of the event and participation of school personnel. These concerns have been addressed with the appropriate personnel.”
Cowart told the local newspaper that neither coaches nor church members were aware of any conflict of interest with students and coaches being baptized on school property.
“We want to make sure people realize that these kids and everyone involved were trying to do a good thing,” the superintendent said. “We have thoroughly investigated the matter and we never found any evidence to suggest that anyone was trying to do anything malicious or with ill intent against school policies.”
Cowart said the school system has supportive relationships with various groups across the community, some of them faith-based.
“We have churches that do so much for our kids, such as providing them with school supplies, clothing, food and many other things,” said Cowart. “We will stand firm with our community groups who support us and we will not let any outside groups dictate to us how we work with our community based partners.”
Kevin Williams, pastor of First Baptist Church of Villa Rica, told an Atlanta television station Sept. 3 that he had no regrets about the service, but if he had it to do over he would make sure that the school board was notified in advance.
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