The Lincoln County School District remains in talks with the American Civil Liberties Union about charges of persistent, unconstitutional prayers offered by school staff at West Lincoln Attendance Center.

     The school district’s attorney is working with Mississippi ACLU Legal Director Bear Atwood to hammer out a plan that ensures the district remains in compliance with the current legal landscape with regard to prayer and other expressions of religion in public schools, said Superintendent Terry Brister.

     “We will show her a plan,” Brister said, speaking of Atwood. “We will show her where we will abide by the law.”

     Brister said he couldn’t offer a timeline as to when such a plan might be completed.

     “We’re just waiting,” he said.

     Brister did confirm the school district’s attorney spoke with the staff at West Lincoln, briefing them on what the law allows and doesn’t allow with regard to religious expression within a school setting.

     The talks follow a letter the ACLU of Mississippi sent to the Lincoln County School District in October, warning that the ACLU had noted ongoing prayers offered by school officials, including teachers and administrators.

     The ACLU cautioned the district legal action could be forthcoming if such activity wasn’t stopped.

     The superintendent hopes talks can produce some sort of action plan or policy that puts the issue to rest.

     “If the ACLU’s OK with that, we can move forward,” Brister said. “All (Atwood’s) doing now is making sure we put forth an effort to abide by what the law says.”

     Following the ACLU spotlight on West Lincoln, the organization has cast an eye elsewhere in the district.

     Bogue Chitto Attendance Center received a verbal reprimand from the ACLU for a prayer offered over stadium loudspeakers before a sporting event late last year, Brister said.

     However, most the attention has remained on West Lincoln Attendance Center. Brister believes that is because the organization received pictures of crosses and other religious symbols on classroom walls.

     “That allowed them to go deeper,” Brister said.

     School prayer violations have been recurring in the district. In 2011, school board members penned a policy formally banning prayer offered over the loudspeakers at sporting events.

     Given the incidents of 2012, that policy didn’t seem to produce many results.

     As to whether the latest controversy about school prayer will have any more permanent results, Brister said the district’s staff doesn’t have a choice.

     “They’re going to have to accept it,” said Brister.

     Though there’s been frustration and dissatisfaction by parents in the district, Brister said he’s personally received little direct pushback from parents.

     “It’s been easier than I thought it would be,” he said. “I’ve been pleased with the way they’ve conducted themselves.”

     He did acknowledge some voices, particularly from the wider community, calling for confrontation with the ACLU.

     The weight of legal precedent in the matter won’t allow that, the superintendent said.

     Speaking of the ACLU, Brister said, “I can’t whip it in West Lincoln, Mississippi.”