Attorney Line also said to the district that staff must be instructed that they cannot participate in, promote, or endorse religious events such as “See You at the Pole,” playing Christian music while students are present during school hours, and making religious comments to students (referring to Vice Principal Hill’s Bible quotes and announcements).
Superintendent Helfrich responded to Attorney Line’s complaint letter saying, “Regarding our students’ participation in the “Operation Christmas Child,” we are discontinuing that effort upon learning that its mission is more sectarian in nature than we realized.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation said the “complaint proved to be a teachable moment for the school district” and that they were “pleased it was able to educate the school district about the true purpose of Samaritan’s Purse.”
This isn’t the first time that Samaritan’s Purse has been under attack for its religious affiliation and outspoken biblical stances and convictions. Earlier this year, Samaritan’s Purse set up an emergency field hospital in New York City during April’s peak COVID-19 outbreak. The Christian organization was blasted in an article by the Gothamist that referred to Samaritan’s Purse’s leader Franklin Graham as a “virulently anti-LGBTQ and Islamaphobic preacher” (due to his faith).
New York City council speaker Corey Johnson tweeted at the time “This is very disturbing. We need reassurances from the city and from Mt. Sinai that Samaritan’s Purse and its volunteers will be monitored, and that the LGBTQ community will not be discriminated against in any way. This is a crisis, but our values remain.”
