East Tennessee Activist Sets Out To Put Prayer Back In Public Schools

First in a Series Of Reports On School Prayer.

Photo credit: David Seal, Tennessee Conservative News

The Tennessee Conservative [By David Seal]-

Charles Hicks is on a modern-day crusade to restore religious freedom in Tennessee’s public schools, especially the God-given right of a student to openly pray during the school day. 

He is leading by example, posting signs across his home county, speaking to church groups, praying with students at the flagpole of his neighborhood school before school each day, making rounds on podcasts, and picking up supporters from across the state.

Hicks is even receiving monetary donations and in-kind services for his cause from people he doesn’t even know.

“This effort I am making is catching on and people are signing up to help. You might even say it is contagious because people of faith have waited so long for someone to take charge and get prayer back in school. God has called me to do this, and I plan to take my efforts all the way to Nashville during the 2026 legislative session.” – said Charles Hicks, Religious Freedom Activist

The path for Hicks will not be an easy one and he knows it. Opposition is expected from liberals that wish to keep any sign of religion out of public schools. Efforts by the extreme left will run contrary to the U.S. Constitution, the Tennessee Constitution, and recent court decisions that support “free exercise” of religion.

One such decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court is Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, 597 U.S. 507 (2022), a case that established the “coercion test” for potential violations of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Adopting this new test creates a higher standard for “establishment” and paves the way for more freedom to express religious beliefs in public school settings.

In Kennedy, the court seemed to abandon the broad outdated three-pronged entanglement test that was established by Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 (1971). A case that severely limited free expression of religion in public schools by creating a low standard for establishment clause violations.

The “Lemon test” was such a complicated and vague approach to determine religious entanglement that the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia referred to it as a “Goul.”

Recent court decisions that support religious freedom will be a factor in the approach taken by state legislators. Concerning such decisions, the Tennessee Conservative News will take a deep dive in this series of reports into cases that hinge on free exercise and their role in public education. 

For Hicks, the strategy will be to encourage incremental changes to state law beginning with a bill that will codify a school board’s right to open their meetings with a personal prayer. Another component of the proposed legislation will enable a student to read a passage of religious text over the school intercom system for a period of up to one minute at the beginning of the school day.

The legislative proposal will be consistent with the Tennessee Constitution; applicable section is as follows.

Article I, Section 3: “That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience; that no man can of right be compelled to attend, erect, or support any place of worship, or to maintain any minister against his consent; that no human authority can, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience; and that no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishment or mode of worship.”

Charles Hicks has invited participation in his efforts and provided the following contact information. Phone Number: (865) 322-5799, email: charleswhicks63@gmail.com

About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and past Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level. David is also a 2024 winner of The Tennessee Conservative Flame Award & has received an accolade from the Institute For Justice for successfully lobbing the TN legislature to protect property rights. David can be reached at david@tennesseeconservativenews.com.