Earlier this month, Shanley High School – a private Catholic school in the Saint John Paul II Catholic Schools Network in Fargo, ND – was prohibited from saying a prayer over its PA system before a playoff football game, even though it has done so throughout the season for regular games.
The North Dakota High School Activities Association claims that it is a "public entity" and that playoff games are "sponsored" by the association. Since the association is a government entity, it believes allowing prayer over a loudspeaker before the playoff game is an endorsement of religion.
"Our schools are committed to academic excellence and being true to our Catholic faith," Saint John Paul II Catholic Schools Network superintendent Dr. Michael Smith told CNA.