I. Date of Event: April 11, 2000

II. Nature of Event: Earth Day-related activity at Avondale Elementary School, Columbus, Ohio which coincided with campaign visit of Vice President Al Gore

III. Specific Activity: First grade class of public elementary school, assisted by Al Gore, wrote a three sentence letter to Mother Earth promising to engage in conduct honoring Mother Earth.

IV. Facts Regarding Activity: The activity occurred in a language arts class supervised by two teachers. As Al Gore entered the class one teacher was reading to the students about the fate of certain woods and animals living in such woods when the woods were removed and replaced by a development. The other teacher then asked the students what they would write to Mother Earth to assure her they will take care of her. The teacher and students then composed a three sentence letter to Mother Earth as follows: "Dear Mother Earth, We will pick up trash. We can take care of our town. We promise to take care of you. Sincerely, Room 5." Once each sentence was written, Gore used a pointer to point to the words as the class read along. Gore complimented the class on its reading ability and may have complimented the class on its environmental astuteness. Reporters found the activity "really weird" such that they inquired of school principal whether such activity was tailored to the Vice President's visit, as Gore is known for strong environmental beliefs. Principal Mary Ann Burns advised the reporters that such activity was of the type which usually occur relative to Earth Day.

V. Institute's Initial Assessment: The activity on its face appeared to have violated the separation of religion and government. See Altman v. Bedford Central School Board, 1999WL 342467 (S.D.N.Y.) where, inter alia, students were wrongly exhorted to do something which would "make Mother Earth smile." In Altman the court affirmed that Gaia religion (worship of "Mother Earth") is a recognized religion. Sponsoring devotionals to Mother Earth, violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by favoring Earth worship over other religion/non-religion and by disparaging religious beliefs of students compelled by law to attend public school who do not believe that devotionals are to be offered to Mother Earth. See also, the Institute's Report No.990601 (available at www.j21c.org) on Earth Day activities at Russel Todd Elementary where the school district apologized after wrongly assembling students to an Earth Day ceremony in which trees were blessed by prayers and Native Americans gave devotionals that the Earth is their Mother.

VI. Institute's Inquiry: The Institute sent the following letter to Principal Burns:

Principal Mary Ann Burns

Avondale Elementary School

156 Avondale Avenue

Columbus, Ohio 43222

Re: First Grade "Mother Earth Pledge" activity

Dear Principal Burns,

The Jefferson 21st Century Institute is a non-partisan charitable organization dedicated to the separation of religion and government and the preservation of civil liberties. The Institute has serious concerns which arise from newspaper reports of the recent visit of Vice President Gore to your school on or about April 11, 2000.

In order to fairly evaluate its concerns it is necessary for the Institute to possess accurate information. Accordingly, we invite you to clarify whether or not our understandings are correct.

1. We understand that Avondale Elementary School is a public school and that children of elementary school age are compelled by law to attend school in Ohio.

2. An article in today's Columbus Dispatch (web edition) states that during his visit Vice President Gore "helped first-graders write a three-sentence letter to Mother Earth promising to pick up trash." We understand therefrom that first-grade students were indeed required to write letters to Mother Earth wherein they pledged to engage in certain behavior. We also understand therefrom that the Vice President of the United States of America helped the children to compose their pledges to Mother Earth.

3. We spoke with a reporter who observed the "Mother Earth letter" activity. We were advised that he and other reporters found this exercise highly peculiar such that they asked you whether this activity was specially tailored to the visit of Vice President Gore, who, per his book, Earth in the Balance, is reputed to favor Earth-based spiritualities. I am advised that you told the reporters that these or similar activities related to Earth Day occur each year. Therefore, we understand that your students are regularly required to engage in such activities as parts of their annual Earth Day-related curricula.

4. We understand that your Earth Day-related activities conflict with the ruling of Altman v. Bedford Central School Board, 1999 WL 342467, (S.D.N.Y) wherein the court ruled that Gaia Worship (a/k/a Mother Earth Worship) is a recognized religion, and that declarations that "The Mother of us all is Earth" and other school-sponsored activities honoring Mother Earth violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. (See Alert to Public Schools at www.j21c.org.)

5. We understand that parents of your students were not advised in advance that their children would be required to pledge certain behaviors to Mother Earth and that parents were not given the opportunity to request that their children be excused from the activity.

6. We understand that the Vice President of the United States did not declare that he was participating in the "Mother Earth letter" activity as a private person rather than as the second-highest public official of the United States of America and that the Vice President did not otherwise disassociate his public office from sanctioning the activity.

7. We understand that your school's curricula do not include exercises wherein students write letters to God the Father or wherein they pledge certain behaviors to gods or goddesses other than Mother Earth.

Sincerely,

/s/

Paul W. Mortensen

Executive Director

Neither Principal Burns nor any other school official responded to the letter.

VII. Concerns Related to Al Gore Context: Although Principal Burns advised reporters that the Letter to Mother Earth activity was normal school procedure related to Earth Day, it seems unusual for this Earth Day-related activity to have occurred on Tuesday, April 11, 2000 when Earth Day did not occur until Saturday, April 22. Most school activities related to Earth Day occur during the week in which Earth Day occurs, rather than weeks prior. In his book "Earth in the Balance -- Ecology and the Human Spirit" (Houghton Mifflin, NY: 1992) at chapter 13 titled, "Environmentalism of the Spirit," Al Gore called for humankind to adopt a spiritual belief system which holds all creation sacred and worthy of worship. "Why does it feel faintly heretical to suppose that God is in us as human beings? Why do our children believe that the Kingdom of God is up, somewhere in the ethereal reaches of space, far removed from this planet? ... It is my own belief that the image of God can be seen in every corner of creation ..." (p. 264-5) At page 259 Gore approvingly quoted a statement attributed to Chief Seattle, "Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people." Gore wrote favorably of ancient goddess religions, the "best documented tenet [of which] seems to have been a reverence for the sacredness of earth ..." (p. 260) The entirety of chapter 13 is dedicated to refuting Judeo-Christian religion and Augustinian/Baconian philosophy, which place God transcendent above His creation, and to supporting the pagan world view that God is personally imminent in all creation from yeast to human beings to trees to Mother Earth in her entirety. In the context of Vice President Gore's publicized visit, the school's eagerness to engage its students in writing a devotional to Mother Earth is of even greater concern as it served to impress young children and the public generally that the public school system sponsors and favors spiritual beliefs which are not held by Moslems, Jews, Christians, atheists and others who are unwilling to accept creation as divinity to be worshiped.

VIII. Conclusion: The Mother Earth letter activity sponsored and favored a particular religious view over other religion/non-religion in violation of the Establishment Clause. The activity also disparaged the religious beliefs of students who do not believe in worshiping the earth.

XI. Action: A copy of this report will be forwarded to Avondale Elementary School and the Ohio Attorney General.