Orlando, FL - Students will gather around school flagpoles tomorrow morning for the 17th annual "See You At The Pole." These events are student-initiated, student-led gatherings where students gather before school to pray for their classmates, teachers, schools, families, communities, states and countries. Each year, approximately three million students from all fifty states and more than twenty countries pray around school flagpoles immediately before school. This year's theme is "Gather. Unite. Pray. Come Together."

Students in the United States have often met with resistance from school officials who are not educated about constitutional rights. Liberty Counsel has defended the right of students to participate in SYATP events in the past and is available to assist students who encounter problems with school officials regarding SYATP events.

This week is also the 10th annual "Scriptures in Schools Week," a week when students bring their Bibles to share and to encourage their classmates to join in Bible reading during free time at school throughout the year.

School officials should also be aware that students have a constitutional right to read their Bibles during free time and to participate in prayer gatherings on public school campuses. The United States Department of Education's "Guidelines on Religious Expression in Public Schools" also points out that students have the right to participate in SYATP as a protected act of religious expression.

Liberty Counsel attorneys are available to assist students and school officials and answer questions free of charge.

Mathew Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented, "It is beyond question that public school students have a First Amendment right to participate in 'See You at the Pole.' Students have a First Amendment right to pray before, during or after the school day." Staver concluded, "School officials have an affirmative duty to educate themselves regarding the First Amendment rights of students, rather than acting out of bigotry, religious bias or ignorance of the law."