Neither side backing down on prayer dispute

BONIFAY — The teams gathered at midfield Saturday at Memorial Field in Bonifay at a weekly game of the Holmes County Peewee Association. Both teams joined in prayer before the game except for two lone figures on the Vernon sideline — Vernon Assistant Coach Louis Fromm and his son, a player on the Vernon team.

Fromm and his cause first came to public attention at a Vernon city council meeting on Oct. 27 when he complained about sanctioned prayer before football games played by the HCPA and that his son was being harassed for refusing to participate.

Players gather at the at the 50-yard line and pray before a game, and Fromm said that it made his son isolated from the rest of the group as he chose not to participate and was the cause of ridicule.

HCPA President Debbie Gunter addressed then teams before Saturday’s game. “I told them they are all teammates and they need to treat each other with respect,” Gunter said. Gunter also said the parents overwhelmingly support continuing prayer before games.

“At the first game Saturday parents came on the field,” Gunter said. “Even players that were not playing were there.”

Gunter was also present at the Vernon city council meeting and presented a petition with 491 names and asking that pre-game prayed be continued. Gunter also said the Vernon city council had no control over the association, an opinion that was echoed last week by Vernon City Attorney Kerry Adkison. Adkison said Thursday that he would recommend to Vernon City Council that the city has no involvement in the dispute.

Adkison said that while Vernon teams participate in the Holmes County association, games are played in Bonifay and the peewee association sets the rules of participation not city council.

“We have no dog in this fight,” Adkison said.

Fromm disagrees. In an interview Saturday he said he plans to re-address the issue at the next Vernon Council meeting on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.

“For three years I have asked them to meet me in the middle and make sure there is nothing that would ostracize my child,” Fromm said. “This is the last chance. All I wanted to have them do is meet me in the middle.” Fromm said he is frustrated that many, “assume I am some kind of atheist trying to get rid of prayer.”

Fromm pointed out that while both Gunter and Adkison maintain that the cities have no control over the peewee association that might not be the case with Vernon.

“The league plays games in Vernon and Vernon teams practice at the Sportsplex (the city recreation fields),” Fromm said. “Plus, the recreation department is funded by the City and Washington County.”

Gunter said the association has no intention of backing down on the issue. “We will fight for our rights and we will not back down,” she said.