The atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has sent letters
to more than 1,000 school districts, warning them of the
unconstitutionality of allowing students to visit Ken Ham’s newly-opened
Ark Encounter.
According to EAGnews.com, the FFRF sent the letters to school districts
in Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, West Virginia, and Ohio. The group
claims that a public school field trip to the Ark Encounter, which is a
life-size, interactive replica of Noah’s Ark, would “violate the
Constitution and the First Amendment.”
“In this country, Ham is free to erect monuments to his bible, but
public schools are not permitted to expose the children in their charge
to religious myths and proselytizing,” the letters continued.
Schools, therefore, are in danger of facing lawsuits because of the
FFRF’s warning. Many schools fear incurring large legal costs, even if
they were to defy the FFRF and win a lawsuit.
Ken Ham, the founder of Answers in Genesis, and the head of Ark
Encounter, offered to admit schoolchildren into the Ark for $1 and
teachers for free. Admission is normally $40.
Ham also issued a statement in response to the letters sent by the FFRF. In the statement Ham said:
“On the basis of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, public
schools are absolutely free to take students on field trips (with
appropriate parental permissions) to facilities like the Ark Encounter
and Creation Museum, provided they are for historical, recreational, or
educational purposes. FFRF has no right (and no legal basis whatsoever)
to intimidate government-run schools as they are trying to do in this
letter sent to more than 1,000 schools.”
“Americans, I urge you to stand up to the FFRF! We need to let them
know we are not going to be bullied into going against our First
Amendment rights,” he continued.
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