Aimee Herd : Aug 17, 2012 : Maegan Vazquez – FOXNews.com

"[The songs] were used appropriately to teach musical concepts." -Kathryn McCary

(Clifton Park, NY)?A public elementary school in upstate New York is standing firm in their tradition of singing songs in music class that contain references to God in the lyrics, but the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) says they're not backing down from their efforts to make them stop.

After sending several letters to the Shenendehowa Central School district regarding Okte Elementary School's curriculum, the FFRF may now be threatening legal action.

Annie Gaylor, co-president of the FFRF told FOXNews.com that the situation is "not minor. It's predatory to conduct this toward a young, captive audience who would be truant if they didn't attend public school."

The songs in question?

"Michael Row Your Boat Ashore," "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," "Thank You for the World So Sweet," and "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep."

The school district's attorney, Kathryn McCary maintained in a letter to FFRF that "None of the songs were taught, or used, as prayer. Thus, the case you cite dealing with school prayer is an inapposite...[the songs] were used appropriately to teach musical concepts."

Bill Donohue, president of Catholic League, praised school administration for hanging tough.

"This would never stand a chance with the Supreme Court," Donohue told FOXNews.com. "They [FFRF] want to censor the expressions of Christianity?and they only go after the Christians, not the Jews or the Muslims. Now they're going after little children over an innocent song. I applaud the school district?they've made a very cogent argument. If this goes to court, we need to teach them [FFRF] a lesson."

   

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