Only three of the 21 candidates running for the Richland School District 1 board showed up for an Oct. 5 forum to explore the candidates’ views on separation of religion and government.

A local chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State sponsored the forum at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Columbia.

The three candidates on hand shared the same views that public funds should not be used to support private schools; organized prayer should not have a place in public schools; and intelligent design should not be taught as part of a science curriculum.

“Let the teachers teach and the preachers preach,” said Jamie Devine, a candidate for the area 2 seat. Devine, husband of Columbia City Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine, is a vice president with the Columbia Housing Authority and a licensed realtor.

Jamie Devine, a vice president of the Columbia Housing Authority, is running for the area 2 seat on the Richland School District 1 board. Here Devine speaks at an Oct. 5 forum on separation of church and state. The forum was held at the Unitarian church in Shandon. Photo by Graeme Fouste

The two other candidates attending were David Edmond, an ordained Methodist elder and a former radio station manager, and Harold Murray, an IBM retiree who runs a computer software business.

All three candidates said they oppose a voucher system that would funnel money to private schools.

“I am diametrically opposed to that,” said Edmond, a candidate in a special election to fill the at-large seat formerly held by Jeanette McBride, who stepped down to run for Richland County clerk of court. “We need to keep these funds for pubic schools,” Edmond added.

Murray said vouchers would undermine public schools that are facing funding cuts. Murray is one of seven candidates seeking one of the board’s three at-large seats.

While supporting a moment of silence for prayer, the candidates agreed that organized prayer should not be allowed in public schools.

“I’m of the opinion there should be some time for meditation,” Edmond said.

“In principal I’m against organized prayer in public school,” Murray said.

Devine said students can say their own prayers during a moment of silence. With different religions represented in public schools, he said organized prayer would be disruptive to the educational process.

The candidates also shared the view that public schools should not offer intelligent design as part of a required science curriculum. Intelligent design holds that certain features of the universe should be explained in the light of intelligent causes rather than strictly through the theory of evolution.

Murray said the concept could lead to too many interpretations.

Devine said that such teachings should come from the home, not from the schools.
Edmond concurred, saying it is a matter best left to parents.

In questions from the audience, the candidates were asked why a secular school board begins its meetings with prayer when it is not allowed in public schools.

Edmond said the tradition of opening prayer has deep roots in society that are not easily discarded. “It’s something that’s done,” he said. “It’s done in any number of legislative bodies.”

Devine and Murray agreed that a prayer before a board meeting is not a violation of law and often is given by representatives of different churches.

Neal Jones, minister of the UU of Columbia and founder of the local Americans United chapter that sponsored the forum, said it was the first of its kind offered by the organization and he did not know which candidates would show up to address the sometimes emotional issues surrounding church and state.