The school board of suburban Levittown formally rejected today demands of a group of parents, including Jews, for an end to the practice of opening the school day with reading from the Bible.
Robert S. Hoshino, president of the school board, said the parents “enjoy no lawful authority to interfere with participation by the children of others who choose to join in the daily exercises. ” This stand, and the contention that attendance for any part of the exercises was not compulsory, was outlined in a document submitted to the New York State Education Department. The statement also maintained that the program did not violate either federal or state constitutions. The next step in the dispute will be a public hearing by the state education commissioner, Dr. James E. Allen, Jr.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
