Texas —
FFRF was able to convince the Ponder Independent School District in Texas not to include any religious speakers at graduation ceremonies in the future.
A district parent informed FFRF of a pre-planned prayer at Ponder High School’s May 2025 graduation ceremony. Both a pre-planned innovation and a benediction were delivered at the ceremony. FFRF received a picture of the graduation ceremony agenda that confirmed the religious contents of the event.
“The popularity of including prayer is immaterial. Courts have continually reaffirmed that the rights of minorities are nonetheless protected by the Constitution,” Then-FFRF Patrick O’Reilly Legal Fellow Hirsh M. Joshi wrote to the district.
After FFRF sent the letter in September 2025, it did not hear any response from the district until after sending a follow-up letter at the end of November. Superintendent James Hill confirmed that the message received was clear, and that the district would not make the same mistake going forward. “There will not be a preplanned invocation or benediction on the agenda this year,” Hill wrote.
