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Orlando, FL - Students will gather around school flagpoles Wednesday morning for the 18th annual "See You At The Pole." These events are student-initiated, student-led gatherings where students come together before school to pray for their classmates, teachers, schools, families, communities, states and countries. Each year, approximately three million students from all fifty states and more than twenty countries pray around school flagpoles immediately before school. This year's theme is "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Students in the United States have often met with resistance from school officials who are not educated about constitutional rights. Liberty Counsel has defended the right of students to participate in SYATP events in the past and is available to assist students who encounter problems with school officials regarding SYATP events.

This week is also the 11th annual "Scriptures in Schools Week," a week when students bring their Bibles to share and to encourage their classmates to join in Bible reading during free time at school throughout the year.

School officials should also be aware that students have a constitutional right to read their Bibles during free time and to participate in prayer gatherings on public school campuses. The United States Department of Education's "Guidelines on Religious Expression in Public Schools" also points out that students have the right to participate in SYATP as a protected act of religious expression.

Liberty Counsel attorneys are available to assist students and school officials and answer questions free of charge.

Mathew Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented, "Public school students have an absolute First Amendment right to participate in 'See You at the Pole.' They have a constitutional right to pray before, during and after the school day, even while on school grounds. School officials have an affirmative duty to educate themselves regarding the First Amendment rights of students, rather than acting out of bigotry, religious bias or ignorance of the law. 'See You At The Pole' provides a great opportunity for educators to become educated," concluded Staver.