After secret yoga lesson, clergy tell Shelby Schools: “Flagrant violation of public trust” (VIDEO)

SHELBY — Last week faith leaders called school officials on the carpet for what they believe is establishment of Eastern Religion. A group of lead clergymen from the area sent a correspondence to the Shelby School Board addressing a controversial picture. Last Fall a school principal sent a post to parents of a picture of small children practicing Eastern Religion Yoga during class. While this is not the first time, it appears clergy are not going to allow school administration to sweep this issue under the rug.

In the correspondence the clergy wrote, “Recently it has come to our attention on November 25^th, 2024, Shelby Pre-K thru 2nd grade elementary students participated in a ‘Club Day.’ Activities included: walking, gardening, cooking, painting, and… yoga. In a picture posted on ClassDojo by the school principal, the photo depicts the teacher and students in an elementary classroom viewing a video in class and participating with a facilitator. The video has a caption: “And bringing our hands together at our hearts and saying our secret yoga code word which is ‘Namaste.’” Students’ shoes are off and hands are displayed over their hearts; both acts associated with religious devotion. 

“It is our understanding parents were not notified prior to the activity,” the clergy said.

The word “Namaste” is a greeting used in Hinduism and Buddhism and means “I bow to the divine in you.” The pastors believe this activity is proselytizing young minds and introducing them to a form of spirituality. According to the group of clergy, they believe based on Biblical teaching, Eastern Religion Yoga is idolatry. 

“When top Hindu scholars say yoga is fundamentally a religious practice, someone from outside the Hindu faith cannot redefine yoga and say yoga is not a religious practice,” says Pastor James Marshall, one of the clergy cosigners. “Mentioned one hundred times in the Hindu scriptures, yoga is a means with connecting with the Hindu deity. Counting the rosary may help with learning to count, but the rosary is still a religious practice.  In the same way, doing yoga stretches may help with muscle flexibility, but yoga, by definition, is still a religious practice,” said Marshall.

After the discovery in 2020 of several local public schools promoting and practicing Eastern Religion during school hours, leading clergymen from 105 area congregations joined forces and sent a correspondence to 39 local school districts calling for an end to yoga indoctrination.  In response, several districts discontinued this practice.

The previous Superintendent never responded to the 2020 clergy letter nor to follow-up requests for a meeting with the clergy. Shelby City Schools has had a history of promoting Eastern Religion during school hours, including holding assemblies to practice yoga in 2016. Instruction was given to Auburn Elementary kindergarteners during class to bow to the sun god ‘Surya’ and to use devotional praying hand poses in 2018. Religious instruction was also given to seventy-five third graders at Dowds Elementary during gym class performing yoga poses the same year.

“As fifteen lead clergymen in the Shelby area, we are requesting a formal response in writing stating the practice of Eastern Religion/Yoga will be permanently discontinued inside the school district. This is in contrast to Superintendent Tim Tarvin, who never responded to the 2020 clergy correspondence nor subsequent requests to meet with him,” the pastors wrote.

A former student in Chicago Public Schools was awarded a $150 thousand settlement in 2023 after alleging in a lawsuit that she was forced to participate in Hindu rituals. Mariyah Green said she was told to bow to a picture of a guru during class. A teacher also told the class during “Quiet Time” to repeat meaningless words, which after research, Green found were actually names of Hindu gods. The district later terminated the meditation-based social emotional learning program.

The Shelby School Board has not had a ‘peace of mind’ about religious activities. In 2021, yoga instructor and two-term school board incumbent, Lynn Friebel, was ousted by Kim Nadolsky following the clergy letter on Eastern Religion. On the campaign trail in 2023, then-candidate Brad Ream told voters he strongly believed in the separation of church and state and was “deeply concerned about the effort to Christianize public schools.” Evidently he was not aware of the bully pulpit Shelby teachers have had promoting Eastern Religion.

The lead pastors concluded their letter to the School Board by writing, “While Bible-based programs in Shelby for released time religious instruction are required to follow this law, on the School Board’s watch, Eastern Religion has not been required to do so.  Based on recent known episodes, Shelby City Schools is sanctioning Eastern Religion during school hours which is a flagrant violation of sacred public trust.  What other activities are occurring in the classroom outside the public eye?  Because of this pattern of injustice, we may have no other choice but to file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights about religious discrimination inside the district.” 

The Bottom Line:

The Bible says in Daniel 3, “ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar saying, ‘we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

View video of 105 Ohio lead clergy taking public schools to mat over promoting Eastern Religion in 2020. (2 min.)

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