Students from Winfield, WV are upset that religion based tradition has been called off

Students at Winfield High School in Winfield, WV have started a petition asking the Putnam County Board of Education to reconsider their decision to remove a popular graduation day tradition.

Coach Leon McCoy is well known in Winfield, WV. He has made it a tradition to speak at Winfield High School's graduation. But after complaints from some parents about the religious theme in his presentation the speech has been called off.

"I think it is very disappointing and unfortunate that Coach McCoy can't speak," said senior Hannah Clark. She said when she was a sophomore at Winfield High School McCoy promised her that he would speak at her graduation. Now he will not be allowed to keep that promise.

"The fact that it is being taken away on the year I get to graduate is really disappointing," said student Chris Cochran.

The Putnam County Board of Education in Putnam County decided the speech he has been giving for years violates a Supreme Court ruling that bans state sponsored prayer in public schools.

Superintendent of Putnam County Schools Chuck Hatfield released a statement on the matter Wednesday.

"Unfortunately, whether we agree with a law or not, all public schools, including Winfield, are in the position of making decisions that must comply with the law. This decision is not about anyone's personal thoughts, feelings or beliefs," Hatfield said. "Leon McCoy has had a huge impact at Winfield High School, and I have supported him and consider him to be one of my dear friends. Whether I support him or not, I have to uphold the law."

I am not an expert at law in this area. But, couldn’t he speak and tone down religious themes?

And what about the recent ruling by the Supreme Court, regarding prayers at public meetings, in which it was ruled OK to have religious Christian prayer?

I guess what I’m saying, does it have to be all or nothing at all? Does this guy preach like a revival preacher telling all to accept Christ when he speaks, or is the message much softer? If it’s softer, then there is no obvious conflict with law and court decisions in this area.

I attended the spring sports awards program at the local (public) high school last night. (My oldest received her letter in varsity track, along with her graduation numbers and track pin—shameless plug for my kid) More than one coach stood up at the podium and thanked God and/or Jesus during their remarks. No one fainted or got on the phone to the ACLU or those morons in Wisconsin.

That’s why I love living on the Ohio/W.Virginia border.

Hatfield, McCoy? Are those from the famous feuding clan?

Yes, the Hatfields and McCoys are just that.

From Wikipedia:
The Hatfield–McCoy feud (1863–1891) involved two families of the West Virginia–Kentucky area along the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River. The Hatfields of West Virginia were led by William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield while the McCoys of Kentucky were under the leadership of

Randolph "Ole Ran'l" McCoy. Those involved in the feud were descended from Ephraim Hatfield (born c. 1765) and William McCoy (born c. 1750). The feud has entered the American folklore lexicon as a metonym for any bitterly feuding rival parties. More than a century later, the feud has become synonymous with the perils of family honor, justice, and revenge.

William McCoy, the patriarch of the McCoys, was born in Ireland around 1750. The family, led by grandson Randolph "Ole Ran'l" McCoy, lived mostly on the Kentucky side of Tug Fork (a tributary of the Big Sandy River). Of English origin, the Hatfields, led by William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield, son of Ephraim and Nancy (Vance) Hatfield, lived mostly on the West Virginia side. The majority of the Hatfields living in Mingo County (then part of Logan County), West Virginia fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War; most McCoys, living in Pike County, Kentucky, also fought for the Confederacy; with the exception of Asa Harmon McCoy, who fought for the Union.

The first real violence in the feud was the death of returning Union soldier Asa Harmon McCoy, murdered by a group of ex-Confederate Homeguards called the "Logan Wildcats." Devil Anse Hatfield was a suspect at first, but was later confirmed to have been sick at home at the time of the murder. It was widely believed that his uncle, Jim Vance, a member of the Wildcats, committed the murder.

The Hatfield clan in 1897.
The Hatfields were more affluent than the McCoys and were well-connected politically. Devil Anse Hatfield's timbering operation was a source of wealth for his family, but he employed many non-Hatfields, and even hired McCoy family members Albert McCoy, Lorenzo Dow McCoy, and Selkirk McCoy.

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