Parents who have sued the Bossier district alleging unconstitutional promotion of Christianity say they fear for their safety.
Seven Bossier Parish Schools parents involved in a religious lawsuit against the district want to remain anonymous during future legal proceedings, citing fear of harassment and violent threats on social media toward them or their children.
The plaintiffs made their request in a court document filed March 1. The motion to remain anonymous is not opposed by the defendants, the Bossier Parish School Board or Superintendent Scott Smith, according to the court document.
The parents say they fear that community members or school employees who have contact with the children may cause problems.
The suit, which accuses Bossier Parish Schools of unwanted and unconstitutional Christian messages and indoctrination, was filed with help from Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Among other things, the lawsuit alleges that teachers and administrators in elementary, middle and high schools promote Christianity and in some cases call out students who do not attend church or are not Christian.
"It's really a case about the school district's conduct that is affecting many families and we're appreciative that the school district agrees with us" on permitting the plaintiffs to remain anonymous, said Eric Rothschild, senior litigation counsel with Americans United.
The lawsuit was filed Feb. 7 on behalf of four parents. Three joined after the initial filing. Each plaintiff is the parent of at least one child who has attended a Bossier Parish school since at least 2015.
The court filing requesting continued anonymity for the plaintiffs says lawsuits such as theirs "often lead to powerful emotional reactions and backlash in the affected community." Parents who speak up or sue often become "victims of harassment, social ostracism, economic injury, and even physical violence," it says.
"Plaintiffs have strong reason to fear that they and their families, including their minor children — whose identities would inevitably be revealed if Plaintiffs’ identities were revealed — will suffer grave harms if they are not allowed to proceed using pseudonyms," the plaintiffs' request asserts.
The document cites as grounds for anonymity the comments made by social media users and the events that transpired in Webster Parish after a lawsuit was filed accusing that district of promoting Christianity.
Facebook users commented on a northwest Louisiana news channel's posts and made violent threats hours after the original complaint was filed, the court document claims.
"Time to put these non-believers in a dirt nap," reads one social media comment cited by the lawsuit.
Those threats made online could transition into the real world, the plaintiffs argue. The document cites the backlash a Webster Parish mom, Christy Cole, and her daughter Kaylee, a student at Lakeside Junior/Senior High in Sibley, received after filing a suit accusing the district of unconstitutionally promoting Christianity.
Cole, with help from the ACLU, filed her suit in December.
Americans United claims that Kaylee was afraid to walk the halls her first day back after the suit was filed and that community members threatened the Coles.
"The Coles have been publicly urged to leave Webster Parish because of their objections to prayer in public schools," according to the court filing.
The filing says that hostility in Bossier and Webster parish "are, sadly, all too common" in cases asserting violations of the First Amendment prohibition against government establishing an official religion.
"There is an alarming history of violence and threats of violence against plaintiffs in cases like this one, giving further weight to Plaintiffs’ reasonable fear here of severe retaliatory harm to their families if their identities were revealed," the plaintiff's assert.
The parents provided statements to the court explaining in their own words why they wanted to remain anonymous. Some fear that their child or family will be ostracized. Others feared worse.
"Since this case was filed, I have seen more negative comments on social media," Doe 3 said in a statement accompanying the court filing. "Some of these comments have expressed an interest in discovering my identity in order to drive me and my family out of town or cause me and my family physical harm. I’ve seen at least one commenter threaten to kill me and my family because of this lawsuit. These comments have disturbed and frightened me."
The Bossier Parish School Board announced in a statement late February that it would change policies and train all administrators, teachers and coaches in response to the anonymous parents' lawsuit.
"We trust these affirmative steps will resolve the current federal court matter in short order so that precious taxpayer funds can be spent on continuing to improve the quality of educational services to students rather than on potentially expensive litigation," the statement reads. "Bossier Schools will always carefully respect and preserve the fundamental rights of all students, including their cherished First Amendment right to freedom of religion."
Because the matter is in litigation, Bossier Schools would have no further comment, district spokesperson Sonja Bailes said in a February email.
Political officials and religious figures in the parish have rallied around the district in the wake of the suit. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry applauded the parish's superintendent and school board for training staff and changing policy to make all aware of their constitutional rights. He argued the changes weren't in response to the lawsuit. He then called the parents' lawsuit moot.
A group of Bossier pastors has organized events and a social media campaign to encourage and empower students to "live out their faith," according to organizers.
An event hosted by the pastors, the Freedom Student Summit, will be held at 6 p.m. April 8 at Bossier Parish Community College. U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, and Landry are expected to attend.
A student-led movement, Protect Prayer, also has cropped up in response to the suit. The group's goal is to "share the hope we have in Christ with those around us," according to the group's Facebook page.
The page includes testimonials from students in Webster and Bossier parishes. A student rally is planned for 6-7:30 p.m. March 22 at 2195 Swan Lake Road in Bossier City.
"When I read the lawsuit filed against the Bossier Parish School Board, I was both saddened and overjoyed. It breaks my heart that people feel hurt by Christianity, but I am also excited because God’s Word tells us to expect opposition when we are walking in His Will," wrote Katherine Gatti, Airline High School's senior class president. "Because our schools are under attack, it needs to be students standing up for our faith. I am inviting all students to come to a leadership rally where we can share ideas for how to work together and also show where we have already been successful."
State Sen. Ryan Gatti, a Republican and also an Airline High graduate, lists a daughter, Katherine, in his Senate biography. Calls to Sen. Gatti were not returned before publication.
Correction: This story originally misspelled the name of the senior litigation counsel with Americans United. His name is Eric Rothschild.