By: Jefferson 21st Century Institute
P. O. Box 1294
Centerville, Utah 84014
Phone/Fax: (801) 292-7059
To: GRAMA Officer
Park City School District
2700 Kearns Blvd.
Park City, Utah 84060
Date: November 17, 1999
Please provide to the Jefferson 21st Century Institute copies of the records requested in paragraph numbers 1., 2., 4., 7., 8., 9., 11., 12., 17., 18., 19. and 20. of the attached letter.
The Jefferson 21st Century Institute will pay for the costs of copies. Please call us collect to inform us of the charge.
Please feel free to contact us if you desire that any request be clarified.
Sincerely,
Paul W. Mortensen
Executive Vice President
Jefferson 21st Century Institute
PWM/mw
Attachments: Letter
Article
November 17, 1999
Superintendent Nancy T. DeFord
Park City School District
2700 Kearns Blvd.
Park City, Utah 84060
Re: Drepung Loseling Monks, October 18-23, 1999
Dear Superintendent DeFord,
The Jefferson 21st Century Institute is a non-partisan charitable organization dedicated to the separation of religion and government. The Institute has concerns arising from the October 18-23, 1999 appearance of the Drepung Loseling monks (hereinafter called "the monks") at the Eccles Center for the Performing Arts/Park City High School. In order to fairly evaluate its concerns it is necessary for the Institute to possess accurate information regarding this matter. Accordingly, we pose the following questions and requests for records. All requests for records are independently reiterated in an accompanying GRAMA request.
1. Did the monks and/or any sponsor(s) sign a contract or contracts for the monks' use of Park City High School's Eccles Center for the Performing Arts (hereinafter called "Eccles Center")? Please provide copies of same and all attachments or documents incorporated by reference therein.
2. Did the monks and/or any sponsor(s) sign a contract or contracts for the use of the Park City High School (hereinafter called "the High School") gymnasium and/or locker rooms? If so, please provide copies of same and all attachments or documents incorporated by reference therein.
3. The enclosed article, "Sunday in the Park" by Terri Orr states, "[T]he monks played basketball in the high school gym." Did the monks use the High School gymnasium and/or locker rooms, and, if so, during what days and hours? Were public school students, faculty, school administrators or District board members present at such time(s)?
Superintendent Nancy T. DeFord
Park City School District
November 17, 1999
Page 2
4. Did the monks rent or use any other property of the District? If so, what property was rented or used? Did the monks and/or any sponsor(s) sign a contract or contracts for the use of any other property of the Park City School District (hereinafter called "the District?"). If so, please provide copies of same and all attachments or documents incorporated by reference therein.
5. The District's Policy Code DFD & KG, III.A. provides:
"The district's facility representative schedules school facilities for use during non-school hours in coordination with building principals. (Emphasis added.)
Similarly, the last page of Policy Code DFD & KG at paragraph 4 provides:
4. The following are available after school hours only and are to be scheduled through individual contact numbers listed. (Emphasis added.)
...
b. Park City High School's Performing Arts Auditorium shall be scheduled in accordance with the agreement with the Park City Performing Arts Foundation. Please contact the PCPAF office at 655-3114 (box office) for use application form.
However, the robed monks used the lobby of the Eccles Center continuously for at least five days during school hours, during which time the monks conducted their Buddhist religion mandala ceremony and simultaneously sold religious literature, religious music recordings and religious artifacts. (Hereinafter these simultaneous activities are called "the mandala ceremony.") The Institute observed many High School students present at the mandala ceremony during school hours when they were not in class. Please explain how you reconcile this during-school-hours ceremony with the above cited policies.
6. The District's Policy Code DFD & KG, III.C. states, "Long term or continual facility usage requests by any group or organization will not be approved." However, the monks continuously used the Eccles Center for at least six days. Please explain how you reconcile this policy with the monk's use of the facility for a six-day continual mandala ceremony.
Superintendent Nancy T. DeFord
Park City School District
November 17, 1999
Page 3
7. Did the District school board or any administrator consider, or authorize, a waiver of any of the foregoing cited policies? If so, state who considered or authorized such waiver and when and where such occurred. Please provide copies of records reflecting such action, whether noted in minutes, memoranda or other document.
8. Were fees paid by or on behalf of the monks for the use of the Eccles Center? If so, who paid the fees? Did the fees paid and insurance arrangement conform to set schedule or were any fees or insurance arrangements waived or special rates or arrangements agreed upon? Please provide records evidencing payment or waiver of fees and regarding insurance arrangements.
9. Were fees paid and insurance provided by or on behalf of the monks for the use of the High School gymnasium and/or locker room? If so, who paid the fees or provided the insurance? Did the fees paid or insurance provided conform to set schedule or were any fees or insurance requirements waived or special rates or insurance arrangements agreed upon? Please provide records evidencing payment or waiver of fees and regarding insurance arrangements.
10. The Rental Request Form used by the Park City Performing Arts Foundation (herein at times called "PCPAF") for rental of the Eccles Center provides, "School District regulations apply to the entire Eccles Center ..." Paragraph A. of part VI. of Policy INB, "Recognizing Religious Freedoms and Rights of Conscience in Schools," states:
Public school employees may neither authorize nor encourage prayer or devotional activities in connection with any class, program, presentation, or other student activity which is under the control, direction, sponsorship of a public school or school district. (Emphasis added.)
Paragraph B. of part VI. of Policy INB states:
No school employee or student may be required or encouraged to attend or participate in any religious service. (Emphasis added.)
The monks' activities during mandala ceremony involves offering of prayers, religious chanting, performing sacred music and creating a sand painting in the form of a "sacred circle" which is dedicated to a deity. The activities also include selling religious literature, music and artifacts. How do you reconcile sanctioning these activities during school hours with the cited policy?
Superintendent Nancy T. DeFord
Park City School District
November 17, 1999
Page 4
11. Did the School District and/or any officer, employee or agent thereof, including PCPAF, orally or in writing or by E-mail alert other school district employees, students or students' parents that the monks would be at the Eccles Center during school hours? If so, who did so, what was content of the communications, to whom were they made and when were they made? Please provide copies of any written communications and transcripts of any E-mails.
12. Did the School District and/or any officer, employee or agent thereof, including PCPAF, orally, in writing or by E-mail or other form of electronic communications alert other school district employees that the monks would be at the Eccles Center during school hours and advise such employees that they could take their students to the mandala ceremony? If so, please provide copies of records of such communications.
13. The enclosed article, "Sunday in the Park" by Terri Orr states, "Another monk led a kind of conga line through the lobby until they [the monk and children] dissolved into a caboose of laughter." Please advise whether the students involved in the conga line were public school students in school at the time, and, if so, which employee's school class(es) and which school employee(s) took the students to participate in the "conga line." If more than one class engaged in a "conga line" with the monks, please identify these classes/employees as well.
14. With regard to the "conga line," please describe the events surrounding the conga line(s). Who suggested that the students participate in the conga line(s)? Did the conga line include ceremonial dance steps, chants or singing, or the playing of drums or musical instruments? In what context(s) did it occur?
15. Classes of elementary students were observed attending the mandala ceremony during school hours and speaking with monks. Which employees' classes attended the mandala ceremony and how did the mandala ceremony specifically relate to any curriculum adopted for study by each such class?
16. Classes of junior high school and high school students apparently attended the mandala ceremony during school hours and spoke with monks. Which employees' classes attended the ceremony and how did the ceremony specifically relate to any curriculum adopted for study by each such class?
17. Was a schedule made for visits by classes, students or District employees to the mandala ceremony? If so, please provide a copy of same.
Superintendent Nancy T. DeFord
Park City School District
November 17, 1999
Page 5
18. Did the School District school board at any meeting, before, during or after the monks' appearance at the Eccles Center, consider the appropriateness of monks' appearance during school hours or involving school classes in the monks' activities? If so, at what meetings did the consideration occur? Please provide copies of minutes, memoranda, correspondence or other records which reflect same.
19. Did the School District Superintendent, High School principal or any officer under the authority of the Superintendent before, during, or after the appearance of the monks at the Eccles Center, consider the appropriateness of the monks' appearance at the Eccles Center during school hours or involving school classes in the monks' activities? If so, what action was taken. Please provide copies of minutes, memoranda, correspondence or other records which reflect same.
20. Were any school district funds directly or indirectly expended towards the mandala ceremony, including, but not limited to, donations, failure to assess fees, direct waiver of fees, printing/copying flyers or announcements of the monks' mandala ceremony, payment for gasoline for school district buses to transport students to the mandala ceremony, etc.? Please provide copies of any records regarding same.
21. Did any District School Board members or District personnel attend the mandala ceremony? If so, who attended?
22. Is there any reason another religious group would not be allowed to engage in an artistic/cultural/religious ceremony at the Eccles Center under the same terms and circumstances that the monks were allowed and with similar employee/student access and participation?
Please feel free to contact me if you desire that any question be clarified.
Sincerely,
Paul W. Mortensen
Executive Vice President
Jefferson 21st Century Institute
PWM/mw
Enclosures: Article
GRAMA Request