Category Archives: Freedom

TheIllinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives the public the right to accessgovernment documents and records. The premise behind FOIA is that the publichas a right to know what its governmentincluding its agencies, bureaus,universities, colleges, and other public bodiesis doing. The law provides thata person can ask a public body for a copy of records on a specific subject andthat public body must provide those records, unless there is an exemption inthe statute that protects the records from disclosure.

Records thata university employee creates or comes to possess in the course of her/his universityduties are subject to FOIA and must be produced when requested unless an exemptionapplies.

Thefollowing points will help you understand how to comply with FOIA.

Its important tounderstand that FOIA does not exempt documents from release simply because suchrelease might cause embarrassment for someone. Furthermore,requestors who believe they have been denied records that should be releasedmay request a review by the Illinois Public Access Counselor (PAC) in theIllinois Attorney Generals Office. The PAC may direct disclosure ofinformation previously withheld.

The UniversityRelations Office for the University of Illinois System serves as the singlepoint of intake for FOIA requests of information from any administrators,faculty, or staff on any of the three campuses. If you receive a request,please forward it immediately tofoia@uillinois.edu. The university is requiredto respondto requests within five business days, with an allowance for aone-time five-day extension. Any delay in beginning the response process means lesstime to work with you to ensure responses are complete and, if applicable,properly redacted.

In mostcases, the University Relations Office collaborates with our campus Office of PublicAffairs and the Office of Campus Legal Counsel when responding to FOIArequests. If you are contacted by University Relations or a campus FOIAcoordinator to gather records in response to a request, please remember toforward all records that are requested, even if you believe the information maybe exempt from production. University Relations decides whether it isappropriate to assert exemptions from disclosure (for documents or contentwithin documents).

If youreceive a FOIA request directly from a citizen or outside organization, pleaseforward it immediately to foia@uillinois.edu and theFOIA team will begin working with you on the response.

For more information and an FAQ visit: http://www.uillinois.edu/foia.

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Guide to the Illinois FOIA Act Public Affairs

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. While the topic of premarital sex among college students may seem blas today, openly expressing an opinion on it in a student newspaper in 1960 was so offensive that it abruptly ended one university professors career.

Ehrlichs book, published by the University of Illinois Press, examines the evolution of academic freedom and extramural speech protections for scholars at the U. of I. in the early 1960s.

Courtesy of the University of Illinois Press

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Although biology professor Leo Koch would never work in higher education again, his legacy was a reevaluation of First Amendment and academic freedom protections for scholars at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, an Illinois professor wrote in a new book. These changes would benefit classics professor Revilo Oliver an anticommunist, white nationalist firebrand enabling him to withstand the tidal waves of outrage that his provocative language and ideas incited to keep his job in academia.

In Dangerous Ideas on Campus: Sex, Conspiracy and Academic Freedom in the Age of JFK (University of Illinois Press), author Matthew C. Ehrlich, a professor emeritus of journalism at the U. of I., examined the intersections of sex, politics and academic freedom in higher education by revisiting the cases of these controversial scholars.

The Koch and Oliver cases marked a significant shift in the understanding of academic freedom, Ehrlich said. Through them, we can see the context for the ongoing battle over beliefs and values that continues to divide our society as well as various groups efforts to ignite, spread, contain or extinguish explosive ideas.

Ehrlichs analysis examines the prevailing Christian beliefs and moral values of the time that attempted to control student sexuality and set standards for discourse, as well as the political climate that was rife with anticommunist suspicion in the wake of the Red Scare of the 1950s.

While people sometimes wax nostalgic about a supposed Golden Age when universities faced fewer political and economic pressures than they do today, that wasnt really the case, Ehrlich said. Universities, especially public universities like the U. of I., have always been under enormous economic and political pressure.

Although polar opposites in their political views, Koch and Oliver were in many ways mirror images of each other in their roles as campus gadflies and public provocateurs, Ehrlich wrote. The outspoken and unconventional Koch had long been a source of consternation for campus administrators, and his unit already had decided not to renew his contract when it expired.

But Kochs exit from the university was expedited when he wrote a letter to the editor of The Daily Illini student newspaper in March 1960 critiquing a column titled Sex Ritualized. Written by two male students to promote an upcoming lecture series on sexuality and Christian values, the column lamented how sexual expectations and campus dating culture interfered with the development of healthy relationships between men and women.

According to Ehrlich, Kochs response took a light poke at (the student authors) narrow-minded, if not entirely ignorant perspective on student sex. Koch suggested that with modern contraceptives and medical advice readily available there is no valid reason why sexual intercourse should not be condoned among those sufficiently mature to engage in it.

Outraged parents, two of the university trustees and a Baptist minister named Ira Latimer who suspected Koch of being a communist clamored for Kochs dismissal. Within days, university president David Dodds Henry who called the letter offensive and repugnant relieved Koch of his duties, and the university announced that he would be out at the end of that academic year.

After a formal hearing, the trustees concurred with firing Koch. However, the Academic Freedom Committee of the faculty senate investigated the incident and issued a report recommending that Koch be disciplined for writing the letter but not fired.

Kochs dismissal and fight for reinstatement would become a cause clbre, stoking vigorous debate in the national media and in higher education about the limits of academic freedom and faculty members First Amendment rights to extramural speech as private citizens.

In 1963, the American Association of University Professors censured the U. of I. for violating Kochs due process rights. In response to the AAUPs censure, U. of I. officials began reexamining and revising the university statutes, bolstering the academic freedom provisions for scholars on campus, Ehrlich wrote.

Thus, the universitys response would be very different a few years later when Oliver created a similar uproar by penning a seething op-ed titled Marxmanship in Dallas that made startling allegations about the late President John F. Kennedy and other high-ranking officials.

Published in the far-right John Birch Society magazine American Opinion in February 1964, just weeks after Kennedys death, Olivers column infused with invectives such as cockroaches and vermin alleged that JFK was a traitorous agent for an international communist conspiracy intent on overthrowing the U.S. According to Oliver, JFK was killed by his co-conspirators after he became a political liability.

Despite Olivers explosive claims, the university defended his right to express them, Ehrlich wrote. Oliver stayed on the faculty and continued as a public speaker and political writer.

The U. of I. was clearly wrong to fire Koch and equally right to defer to the professional judgment of faculty and not discipline Oliver. That principle must be adhered to today even in the face of severe challenges to faculty autonomy, Ehrlich said. Far from protecting only liberal faculty, academic freedom also protects faculty on the other end of the political spectrum. Revilo Oliver is a prime example of that.

Ehrlich also touched upon the more recent case of Steven Salaita, a scholar whose offer of a tenured faculty position at the U. of I. was rescinded after he posted angry tweets about Israel.

Ehrlich concluded that imposing strict civility standards will only backfire, stifling the free exchange of ideas critical to scholarly inquiry vital to universities.

Instead, Ehrlich urged readers to keep faith in the ideal that former U. of I. dean of students and dean of women Miriam A. Shelden called a university of all of us a stirring place where ideas fight for the supremacy of truth.

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News Bureau | ILLINOIS

This New Years Eve marks the 159th anniversary of Freedoms Eve, a famous date in Black history when millions of people anxiously awaited the announcement that they had at last been freed from bondage.

On Dec. 31, 1862, American slaves were waiting for the clock to strike midnight in order to seize the promise of freedom outlined in the Emancipation Proclamation. Only 3.1 million of the countrys four million slaves were declared free from the bondage of oppression with the issuance of the decree. The soon-to-be freed slaves stayed awake all night and watched the darkness turn into a new dawn while waiting for the news. Since then, the tradition of celebrating Freedoms Eve has been a cultural ritual.

Freedoms Eve was inspired by the Watch Night service tradition. The event can be traced back to the Moravians, a Christian denomination in the Czech Republic during the mid-1700s. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, adopted the practice and began incorporating Watch Night services into the Methodist tradition.

In 1770, the first Watch Night was held in America at St. Georges Methodist Church in Philadelphia. Two slaves, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, were a part of the congregation and would later leave the church after experiencing discrimination to establish the African Methodist Episcopal church (A.M.E.). The A.M.E. Church tradition subsequently inspired the celebration of Freedoms Eve as Black persons gathered together to recognize the progression of freedoms journey.

Frederick Douglass was an A.M.E. member and once said of Freedoms Eve that We shout for joy that we live to record this righteous decree. For Black people, the prayers of their ancestors finally came to fruition as they reached a future of freedom and liberty.

The logo for the African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E.), which was founded by two former enslaved persons.

Freedoms Eve was a call to action. It was a moral imperative to fight for the full realization of freedom for Black men and women united in the struggle for liberty. The tradition is a symbol of not only the struggle for freedom from slavery, but also a mark of tenacious courage. Freedoms Eve connects history with the present since it informs Black America of the present challenge to secure the blessings of liberty for future generations.

Less than a decade after the first Freedoms Eve celebration, many Blacks had become resistant to the idea. They wanted to distance themselves from the more painful and degrading aspect of a collective past. They felt that celebrating emancipation kept the memory of slavery alive. After 1870, and continuing into the 20th century, many in the Black middle class advocated halting Freedoms Eve commemorations.

In 1876, Theophilus G. Steward, an A.M.E. minister, insisted that Blacks would never unite behind a common history because the races narrative was centered on slavery and slave history is no history he professed.

Steward penned a series of essays about Blacks in New York City in explaining that it was difficult to find a colored man even from the South who will acknowledge that he actually passed through the hardships of slavery Men do not like to be referred to slavery now.

Many contemporary Black Americans may not feel the need to continue watching for freedom. Some contend that Blacks are far removed from the evil days of slavery. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said more than a half-century ago the Negro is still not free, yet there has been undeniable progress, albeit slow and painstaking, made in the struggle for liberty and equality.

Black Americans traditionally have gathered in churches on New Years Eve. Its an opportunity to praise God for bringing them safely through the year in recounting the celebratory theme of how we got over.

The service usually begins anywhere from 7-10 p.m. and ends at midnight with the entrance of the new year. Over time, there have been instances where clergy in mainline denominations questioned the propriety of linking religious services with a secular holiday like New Years Day. Those who faithfully observe the service insist that the importance of overcoming past injustice becomes a transformational experience that resounds in the services singing and praise.

Many Black people probably do not specifically celebrate Freedoms Eve per se in the sense of reflecting on their ancestors freedom from slavery. Yet, the direct link between Freedoms Eve celebrations and Watch Night undoubtedly has both explicit and implicit impacts on many Black Christians observance of the tradition.

Some Black worship leaders fully honor the Freedoms Eve tradition in its most sympathetic form. Many Black Christians from various denominations including Methodist, Baptist and Pentecostal churches implicitly reflect on the spirit of Freedoms Eve celebrations by bringing in the New Year with jubilation and praise, praying and shouting. They thank God for seeing them through another year as they anticipate the fulfillment of their hopes and dreams and, most of all, Gods promises in the new year.

There are traditional hymns that Black people sing in reflecting how God has been and remains to be their source of hope in the freedom struggle. Weve Come This Far By Faith is a congregational hymn that can encourage Black persons to cogitate how far they have come in America through slavery; the Black Codes; the Jim Crow era; the civil rights movement; the election of President Barack Obama; and beyond.

O God, Our Help in Ages Past is an English hymn written by Isaac Watts. The song paraphrases Psalm 90, a prayer of Moses. Here, Moses distinguishes the eternal nature of God from the finite nature of human beings. Moses muses how God has been a dwelling place and source of refuge for the children of Israel and for these purposes, the Black children of America.

As Black people ring in the new year, the hymns are said to inspire Black Christians to ruminate how God has been their sustaining power and source of security throughout the ages, their help in ages past, and their hope for the year to come.

Today, there are many ways to honor the anniversary of Freedoms Eve. Start by sharing the story of Freedoms Eve with family, friends and youth in the community. It is an opportunity to reclaim history with a sense of great pride in shining a light on and proclaiming victory over the darkness of slavery.

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Freedoms Eve reflects victory over trespass - The Miami Times

The nickname Facebook Law, which has been given to a bill to prevent incitement on social media, is misleading and dangerous. It obscures fundamental flaws in the bill, which was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation Monday night in preparation for the first of three required Knesset votes.

First, the bill would allow district court judges to remove posts not just from Facebook, and not even just from all social media outlets, as its official name implies, but from any website at all. Second, in addition to defining the crime, the bill includes vague considerations about possible harm to an individuals safety, public safety and national security. These are very broad terms that are open to different interpretations, frequently political ones. And as both military censorship and judicial gag orders have proven, despite the standard of near certainty set by the High Court of Justice, in the vast majority of cases judges approve requests of this type almost automatically, in ex parte hearings and with the evidence heard on camera practices the current bill would also allow.

Third, the bill also drags internet service providers into this mess, as they may be asked to block access in Israel to content that websites dont agree to remove. Big technology conglomerates like Facebook do indeed pose significant social and political challenges for democracy in the digital age. But even today, its possible to file lawsuits or criminal charges if online posts violate elements of the penal code, such as the laws against libel and incitement.

The bill is far-reaching and draconian in its implications for freedom of expression. It grants the authorities unprecedented and disproportionate tools for imposing government censorship. In many countries, such as India and the Philippines, similar laws that originally purported to regulate social media are now being used to persecute journalists and human rights organizations. This is what happened, for instance, to journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, who was jailed under the provisions of new internet laws. Israeli law also enables content on news websites to be removed or blocked a practice that should have disappeared together with the Press Ordinance instituted by the British Mandate almost a century ago.

The bill now being promoted by Justice Minister Gideon Saar isnt new. It was also initially promoted by the previous government, but then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ultimately decided to shelve it because of his growing use of social media for his own political purposes.

Nevertheless, the division into blocs that has emerged over this bill, solely because of Netanyahus position on it, is narrow-minded and dangerous and prevents sober consideration of its provisions, which will affect freedom of the press in Israel for generations. To mitigate the damage, its necessary to significantly restrict the laws applicability, in terms of both the websites it applies to and the types of offenses it covers, and also to bar ex parte hearings in which the evidence is heard on camera.

The above article is Haaretz's lead editorial, as published in the Hebrew and English newspapers in Israel.

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Israel's 'Facebook bill' is a serious threat to freedom of expression - Haaretz

Last week, Jackson Mayor Scott Conger opened a minor can of worms when he shared a Christmas card quality photo of himself and his family in Downtown Jackson.

He opened the post by asking how we can honor the birth of Christ and then posted James 1:19-20 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

He then wished everyone reading a Merry Christmas.

By the time Christmas was over, there were more than 400 comments on the post with many of them wishing Merry Christmas back to the mayor and some even acknowledging their appreciation that he would mention Jesus Christs birth in his holiday message, something that many government officials opt not to do for varying reasons.

But among the more than 400 comments were a few that accused him of violating the First Amendment, specifically the part about freedom of religion.

Conger actually replied to a couple of them defending his statement with another part of the First Amendment, freedom of speech.

Now Im all for constructively criticizing Jacksons mayor as much as the next person when its warranted, but I dont think this is one of those times.

A lot of people seem to misunderstand the freedom of religion part of the First Amendment.

They seem to expect that when a person is elected to office or hired for a job within the government that theyre expected to leave their religion outside City Hall or the Courthouse or the White House or wherever theyre serving.

But thats not the case.

When the nations founding fathers wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, they were trying to make a nation that was the exact opposite of the nation they were breaking free from in England.

And that country imposed a national religion and expected all citizens to follow that religion if they wanted to be a part of that country or its empire.

So freedom of religion keeps the United State of Americas federal government and every state and local government within its borders from forcing a certain religion or any religion for that matter on its citizens.

It doesnt keep religion out of government.

It doesnt mean that a person who claims to be a Christian and runs for mayor is to refrain from praying or going to church or reading the Bible or anything like that while he or she is in office for four years every time he or she is elected.

If were to use Conger in this example, he just cant make any executive orders or push the City Council to pass any resolutions forcing or prohibiting one particular religion on Jacksons citizens.

I can tell you that one of Congers early executive orders during the pandemic had a line that was difficult to decipher regarding churches meeting, and I had conversations with city officials on a specific Friday in the spring of 2020 letting them know we at The Sun were prepared to do appropriate reporting that weekend and the following week if the executive order did restrict gatherings at church and law enforcement did enforce it before I was assured that the order was not prohibiting religious gatherings.

Faith may play a role in decisions he makes. At the state level, Gov. Bill Lee isnt shy about how his Christianity influences him to make some of the decisions he makes. And of course that brings out similar accusations against Lee that Congers Merry Christmas post did.

Of course a Merry Christmas wish from a city mayor and a policy declaration by a state governor are two different things with different ramifications.

But the checks and balances system of our government is in place for when that gray area of religion in government tends to get too dark on the side of religion if a policy affects a person or group of people too much.

But checks and balances do not affect whether or not someone can say Merry Christmas. And no ones First Amendment rights were violated last week with Congers post.

Save that argument for when it matters.

Brandon Shields is the editor of The Jackson Sun. Reach him at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 731-425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at editorbrandon.

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First Amendment is freedom of religion, not from it | Opinion - The Jackson Sun

G.A. Benton| Columbus Alive

The phrase every day is a fresh start carries seasonal weight as we careen toward a new year.

Yes, were nearing a period when resolutions are made to shed a different kind of seasonal weight. But the reason I cited that aforementioned, implicitly hopeful fresh start quote is because its part of a cheery but knowingly heartfelt mural that graces the Downtown building housing a standout operation: Freedom a la Cart Cafe + Bakery, whose April premiere made a troublesome year a little better.

Although the cafe + bakery is new, Freedom emerged about a decade ago as a food cart (thus a la Cart) that both raised money for and employed survivors of human trafficking. Freedoms compassionate mission hasnt altered, but it has evolved from a rotating cart and popup eatery with limited fare to a lovely cafe with a compelling selection of creative, delicious and skillfully prepared bakery items, coffee drinks and brunch-style dishes.

Fans of excellent Emmetts Cafe will notice overlaps here, and with good reason. Both places developed their menus which could be characterized as forward-looking yet steeped in crowd-pleasing tradition with the help of consulting chef Lara Yazvac Pipia. Consequently, both places frequently sneak healthful ingredients into imaginatively conceived bowls and sandwiches that feature a dynamic interplay between numerous components.

Stepping into Freedom's pretty space, with its relaxing atmosphere, muted tones, white bricks and paint, plentiful live plants, stylish lighting fixtures and uncommonly warm counter service, youll likely notice customers enjoying egg-and-sausage sandwiches. You should enjoy one, too.

Freedom's signature rosemary breakfast sandwich ($8.50) might not behuge, but its hugely satisfying. Inside its aptly described fresh baked croissant bun (flaky, crinkly, slightly sweet, terrific) were rich ingredients omelet-esque egg, blistered provolone, aioli, nifty house-made rosemary-lemon sausage patty leavened by arugula, herbs and citrus.

Beautifully griddle-toasted sourdough bread plus molten cheeses (Swiss, cheddar and goat) and house habanero-apricot jam add up to the grilled three cheese ($8.50), a sandwich that shames most of its milky ilk.

The snack-sized trout toast ($8) looked like a food magazine cover photo. With crisp pumpernickel topped by a creamy feta spread, plus a bit of smoked fish accented by microgreens, sesame seeds and a perfect poached egg, it tasted good, too.

Prefer something more substantial and indulgent? I found the Dont Judge Me ($9) roasted chicken, two aiolis, potato chips, arugula and melted Swiss inside toasted, good, ciabatta-like bread to be guilty of first-degree deliciousness.

Ditto for the hearty and healthful, if misleadingly named, breakfast bowl ($11). Sure, it had an egg another on-point poacher but this hefty and impressive assembly of lemony hummus, zucchini ribbons, white beans, microgreens, herbs, risotto-evoking cheesy farro and Caesar dressing-like flourishes screamed lunch to me. I look forward to hearing from, and tasting, it again.

With its tapioca-esque blueberry chia pudding, apricot jam, tangy Greek yogurt, pie-filling-like stewed blueberries and, for elevating contrast, crispy first-rate granola, the blueberry chia bowl ($9) says antioxidant-rich breakfast just as it whispers nutty, not-too-sweet dessert. Heed its call.

And believe your eyes as you gaze at the array of beautiful treats stashed behind glass. Because, from dark-chocolate-chip-with-sea-salt cookies (cookies are about $3) to croissants whose elegance might be teased by a doughnut-style glazing or chocolate and cayenne, to bacon-scallion-parmesan scones (pastries and croissants are about $3.75 to $4.50), they taste as good asthey look.

And since a few days remain until the new year begins, why not treat yourself to several worth-the-splurge, Freedom baked delights? That way, you can end an often-sour year on a sweet note, and still get a fresh start to a seasonal weight-loss resolution come 2022. However your cookies crumble, though, heres hoping you have a very happy New Year.

Freedom a la Cart Cafe

123 E. Spring St., Downtown

614-992-3252

freedomalacart.org

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Debut of high-performing Freedom a la Cart Cafe + Bakery one light in a bleak year - Columbus Alive

The Austin Public Library said it stands with the larger library community against censorship in school and public libraries.

Its disheartening when I see it happen across Central Texas and the state as a whole, Roosevelt Weeks, the director of Austin Public Library, said in response to an increase in calls to remove reading materials in places like Llano County and Leander and Round Rock school districts.

Weeks said the freedom to read is a right and it's important for librarians and library workers to stand together to ensure people are not stopped or deterred from reading what they want.

He said while library staff categorize books by age appropriateness, what children read should be between a child and their parent.

One parent should not dictate what another parents child should read, Weeks said. A small group of people shouldnt dictate what the majority of people may want to read or have an option to read.

Weeks said library materials are selected by a diverse group of professional library staff who are trained on how to select books for the community. The policy in selecting materials includes providing alternative perspectives on unpopular or unorthodox [ideas] as well as popular materials.

The Texas Library Association in October said there was a substantial increase in censorship activity across the state after the Texas Legislature passed laws restricting education related to history and racism.

In order for us to succeed as a society, we must recognize that there is a diversity of people and a diversity of thought, Weeks said. Thats why its important that we have a diverse collection so that people have a choice in what they read and get information [about].

Weeks said no materials have been removed from Austin Public Library shelves, but library patrons can challenge the materials by submitting a form explaining what they find objectionable. The item will then be reviewed by library staff.

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Freedom to Read: Austin Public Library says it stands against book banning and censorship - KUT

Sir, Freedom of expression is probably the most valuable of civil rights, but it necessarily comes with limitations. These include libel and defamation, medical confidentiality, national security and, famously, shouting fire in a crowded building, among many.

Ultimately what the exceptions illustrate is that free expression entails responsibility toward the rights and welfare of others.

In defending Julian Assanges reputation, Jim Roche (Letters, December 27th) argues that the former is being persecuted for exposing . . . facts that powerful political leaders dont want the public to know.

It is not possible to know that definitively, nor to characterise the actions of such people as anything other than wildly reckless.

Many of the files released by Mr Assange have contained more documents than they could possibly have read. The PlusD file from 2013 had 1.7 million intelligence reports in it. Other releases have contained millions of emails.

Divulging such volumes of unread information cannot be characterised as an ideology or strategy. It is simply reckless and risky behaviour. Yours, etc,

BRIAN OBRIEN,

Kinsale,

Co Cork.

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Julian Assange and press freedom - The Irish Times

ORRVILLE An organization known for promoting the separation of church and state is taking City Schools to task for praying at school board meetings.

TheFreedomFromReligion Foundationnotified the Board of Educationvia a Dec. 22 email that opening the monthly public meetings with a Christian prayer"is beyond the scope of a public-school board,according to rulings and precedents made by the Supreme Court.

The school district is reviewing the matter with its legal counsel, said Superintendent Jon Ritchie, and may discuss the issue at a future board meeting.

Car crashes into elementary school: School to resume Monday for McMullen students after truck strikes building

Karen Heineman, a staff attorney for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, said the organization was contactedin Octoberby aparent who lives in the school district and who attended a recent school board meeting that was openedwith a prayer.

The letter to the boardstated,the prayer witnessed by our complainant was Christian and ended with our savior Jesus Christ, andnoted the prayer camebefore the pledge of allegiance,thefirst item listed on many of the school boardagendas.

Holiday COVID wave is here: Hospitals, health officials urge caution as cases spike

"Board memberWayne Steinerpromotes his personal religious beliefs at board meetings and has been hostile to the expression of other religious views, according to the foundation's letter.

Heineman said that may have swayed the boards vote onmask requirements.

There had been someinitialtalk, (the board)seemedto be leaning towardthe mask mandate. The one board member promoted his views that basicallyGod decides how long we're going to be here with orwithout amask.And then the vote went the otherway.

School districtpoliciesstatethe boardis prohibited from discriminating againstanyone based on several personalaspects,includingtheir religion.Heineman said prayer at public meetings and allowing board membersto sharetheirpersonal viewsnegates those policies.

Even the district policies ... say board members have the responsibility to be representative to be responsive, and that the board doesn't discriminateon the basis ofreligion, Heineman said. I think when you haveaChristian prayer opening every board meeting, and when you have somebody expressing his personal religious beliefs, they aren't even following their own policies.

An email and a phone call to Steiner through the board office were not returned.

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Board President Greg Roadruck confirmed the board says a prayer before eachmeeting, describing the intent of the prayeras a moment tocometogetherrather than a push for any one set ofbeliefs.

Our intent is not to force anything on anybody or anything like that, Roadruck said.The intent of a prayer, in my opiniononly, is that it's to clear our mindand make sure we're thinking not just(about)ourselves butthe entire community.

Roadruck said the prayer is said beforethe meeting is called toorderso that it is not a part of the meeting.

Norwayne treasurer to retire: Superintendent of Norwayne schools dubs retiring district treasurer 'a wonderful mentor'

While the board has not met since the letter was sent, Roadruck said, the prayer matter will be reviewedto ensure the board is following the rules.

We take an oath,I'll take it again here shortly, to uphold the Constitutionandall the laws of the state of Ohio," Roadruck said. "Sowe do have to go by that,so that's whatwe'lldo.

Heineman said thefoundation is awaiting the board's official response to theletter.

As of Dec. 27,Superintendent Jon Ritchie said all board members had received a copy of the letter and arereviewingitindependently.Ritchie also said the districts legal counsel is reviewing the letter and the matter may be addressed at afutureboardmeeting.

Masks to return in Wooster schools: Wooster school district extends mask requirements for all students with new year

Any changes to how the school board conducts itsmeetings are yet to be determined, however,Roadruck saidhedoes not wantthe matter to become a long-termissue.

Personally,I(may)have different thoughts,maybe, Roadruck said.But legally, we are bound by thelaws of the stateand I'm notgonnawaste any taxpayersmoney on fightingOhio laws or theConstitution.

Reach Rachel Karas atrkaras@gannett.com

On Twitter:@RachelKaras3

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Group calls out Orrville City Schools Board of Education over prayer before meetings - Wooster Daily Record

By Stacy M. Brown | NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent@StacyBrownMedia

(NNPA) Mary Alice Jervay Thatch, who often told the story of how as a baby, she used her diaper to clean the floor of the Wilmington Journal and who went on to become the editor and publisher of the historic newspaper, has died at the age of 78.

My daddy used to say that I started at 3 or 4 months old, when I started crawling around on the floor, Thatch recounted several times, often with a broad smile and chuckle. I was hired as the janitor to clean the floor with my diaper.

A teacher and educated wordsmith, Thatch had an unsurpassed commitment to providing a voice to African Americans.

She took over the Wilmington Journal in 1996, following her fathers footsteps, former National Newspaper Publishers Association Chair Thomas C. Jervay, Sr., and grandfather, R.S. Jervay.

The latter founded the newspaper in 1927, while her father ultimately took over as publisher.

R.S. Jervay moved from Columbus County to Wilmington and found that the area lacked a Black-owned newspaper for three decades because of the race riots that destroyed the Daily Record, which had served all African American residents of North Carolina.

The elder Jervay founded the Cape Fear Journal, and the paper later changed its name to the Wilmington Journal.

Thatch once recalled the early days of the Journal.

My father used to say he had printers ink in his nostrils because he grew up at the paper, Thatch once remarked.

He was the first carrier for the paper. He became editor after he graduated college.

She continued:

As a child, Thatch and her family lived on the second floor of the building housing the Wilmington Journal.

Growing up at the paper, it was a daily thing for the family. We had family chores and Journal chores.

During the struggle for civil rights, Thatch proved herself a champion for freedom and equality.

On February 6, 1971, a white-owned grocery store was firebombed, and as they responded, emergency workers were fired upon by snipers.

Ten community activists, including Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., were falsely accused of the firebombing and convicted in 1972 of arson and other offenses.

The Jervay family were among the few to boldly and publicly support the activists known as The Wilmington Ten.

After spending nearly ten years in prison, the state released Dr. Chavis and the others.

But Thatch kept up the fight to clear their names.

In 2011, she organized the Wilmington Ten Pardons of Innocence Project and continued to push for a declaration of innocence for the group.

After a successful petition that garnered more than 150,000 signatures and with Thatch helping to uncover critical evidence, on December 31, 2012, Gov. Beverly Perdue issued pardons of innocence for each member of the Wilmington Ten.

The NNPA today learned of the passing of one of our leading publishers, the renowned Mary Alice Jervay Thatch, publisher of the Wilmington Journal in Wilmington, North Carolina, Dr. Chavis, now President and CEO of the NNPA, remarked.

Mary Alice Jervay Thatch was a key factor for decades demanding successful pardons of innocence for the Wilmington Ten in 2012, Dr. Chavis stated.

He noted that the Jervay family represents four generations of African American publishers in North Carolina and praised Mary Alices father and grandfather.

Dr. Chavis said the NNPA would sorely miss Thatch.

Mary Alice Thatch was a freedom fighting publisher, journalist, and activist. The Black Press of America extends our sincerest condolences to the family of Mary Alice Jervay Thatch, Dr. Chavis exclaimed.

Just as Thatch continued her fathers legacy, her daughters are current Journal staffers, and her grandchildren reportedly have also played a part in producing the paper in recent years.

A family-owned newspaper is really part of the community, Thatch previously told her biographer Amanda K. Lee.

This is not just my paper; it is the communitys paper. The community is family.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), known as the Black Press of America, is the federation of more than 200 Black community newspapers in the United States.

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Mary Alice Jervay Thatch, Freedom Fighting Publisher of Wilmington Journal Dies - Sacramento Observer