By JOSH AULT
6 News Reporter
JAMESTOWN (WATE) - People in Fentress County gathered Thursday night at the Fentress County Courthouse in support of the Ten Commandments.
In September, the principal at Pine Haven Elementary School in Jamestown received a complaint from an attorney from Pennsylvania about their displaying the Ten Commandments.
After ignoring that complaint, a second complaint was filed with the school board office prompting school officials to take down the Ten Commandments.
The move to take down all the displays happened last week.
"As far as I know, there was one in every classroom," said the school's custodian, Michell Waters. "They were in the hallways, so they were throughout the whole school."
A large majority of the community came together Thursday to voice their opposition to the decision.
"We advised everyone last Monday night that it's time we took more of an offensive on this issue of taking prayer out of schools, taking Ten Commandments out, rather than backing up," said Fentress County Commissioner Ray Buck.
Commissioner Buck is also the co-founder of the Fentress County Voice of Hope prayer group. The group was started to get the community to pray against crime. He is now asking them to pray to help bring God back into schools, including the Ten Commandments.
"As a parent, I was upset," said Waters. "As a church citizen, church goer, I was very upset when my kids came home and asking questions why that had to happen, why now?"
Pine Haven Principal Daryl Rains, who is also a local minister, addressed the decision to take down the Ten Commandments for the first time.
"This complaint alleged we're having prayer in school, alleged we had Ten Commandments," said Rains. "It alleged we had illegal things on the walls, and we are guilty as sin."
Principal Rains says he is in full support of having the Ten Commandments up at the school. He hopes current state legislation will allow the Ten Commandments to be restored to the halls.
"God has blessed Pine Haven school because he knew we could handle it," said Rains. "He knew I could handle it. I'm not bragging. I'm bragging on God."
"I would like to see the Ten Commandments put back up," added Waters. "I would like for them to be displayed. Nobody meant to offend anybody by the protest the kids did. We just want our kids to know they can believe the way we want to believe and know that we were offended when they are taken down."
State legislation has recently been passed to allow historical documents, like the Ten Commandments, to be displayed in public places.
The meeting drew a standing room only crowd.
