Dr. R.A. Vernon's month-long speaking tour at Cleveland Metropolitan School District high schools drew criticism from a local blogger who objected to religious leaders giving speeches during the school day.
Dr. R.A. Vernon's speaking tour at Cleveland Metropolitan School District high schools, including John Hay High School pictured here, drew criticism from a local blogger who claims religious messages were inappropriately included in mandatory school events.
‘s tour of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District encouraging regular high school attendance sparked an online debate after one local blogger claimed it was improper. Both the district and The Word Church pastor, Dr. R.A. Vernon said his message was not religious but rather centered solely on inspiring students to stay in school and imagine bright possibilities for their future, as an alumnus who beat the odds himself. The online pushback to Vernon’s appearances -- he has visited four high schools and has six more stops scheduled -- illustrates concerns of mixing church and state. The influence of religion in policy making has sparked rising debate in Ohio and across the country about the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state.to be displayed in classrooms. The concept of Christian nationalism and the government promoting Christian views in political, cultural, and social life has both rallied supporters and riled opponents. Vernon is the founder and senior pastor of the Word Church, a mega-church with campuses across Cleveland and Warrensville Heights. He recently began a month-long speaking tour and has appearances at schools scheduled through March 5 to coincide with Black History Month. He offered to speak to students after hearing CMSD CEO Dr. Warren G. Morgan describe the district’s challenges with school closures and chronic absenteeism during the state-of-the-schools address in September. “As he was talking about schools closing, things of that nature, the first thing that dawned on me, like every person sitting there, all of us that have influence, is, what could I do to make it better?” Vernon said in an interview. “What if I use the influence I’ve had in this city for the last quarter century to maybe go to these schools and just speak encouragement.” A review of a video of Vernon’s speech by cleveland.com | The Plain Dealer confirmed his presentation Thursday at John Hay High School did not talk about religion. During his address at John Hay, Vernon discussed his struggles. He was raised by parents who were teenagers when he was born. As a student at East Technical High School, he said that like many students, he felt uninspired. He became motivated, he said, when as a student and heard an address by celebrity Montel Williams. He hopes to provide similar inspiration for current students. “This is a boy in the projects whose mother was 15. Some would have wrote us off living in the projects at Longwood,” he said. Vernon’s speaking tour initially caught the attention of Polly Karr, a parent of CMSD grade-schoolers and a Substack writer who leadsVernon’s tour, where she claimed that teachers and students told her the events resembled “a religious church experience” where Vernon quoted scripture and encouraged students to attend his church.But at John Hay, Vernon told students he came only to give the same kind of inspiration he was given. “There are different faith traditions present so this isn’t about praying and preaching. This is about you getting an education.” Vernon appeared without fee and gave $20 restaurant gift cards to students with perfect attendance. He has committed, also, to buying each valedictorian a pair of Nike Air Jordan sneakers. And he’s working with the district to set up an event later this year to honor students who land on the honor roll. Vernon said that his address at John Hay, which centered on his personal journey as a student to community leader has been the consistent message at his talks. Polly Karr, who is Jewish and frequently blogs about Cleveland schools on Substack, did not attend any of Vernon’s talks. After Thursdays events, she said they seemed “non-controversial,” in a Facebook comment.“It’s an uncomfortable coupling of the school district and this pastor. Or any pastor, I wouldn’t want my own Rabbi to do this,” Karr said in an interview. Karr said the district should cancel the remaining visits and move any future events with Vernon to weekends. If Vernon were to preach in a public school setting that could violate Constitutional guarantees for the separation of church and state, she said.A spokesman for CMSD said that would indeed be inappropriate. The district, though, wasn’t concerned that having a preacher deliver a motivational message to students would create a concern, CMSD’s Jon Benedict said. For generations, pastors and ministers of many traditions have been key advocates and community partners for CMSD, he said. “What we have seen on social media is folks who have built a presence by finding controversy, and this is simply the latest … At the same time, I think some people have perfectly genuine and completely valid concerns if they hear that, you know, a pastor is preaching in a school,“ Benedict said. Vernon, who has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media and a national profile, was a prime example of a successful alum who had the potential to inspire students, Benedict said. Pastor Vincent E. Stokes II of New Sardis Primitive Baptist Church, a University Heights council member and a former CMSD educator, suggested that people may be misinterpreting what they experienced. He posted on Karr’s Facebook post in response to other comments and spoke with cleveland.com |The Plain Dealer. “If he is preaching in the schools, then it is wrong. ... However, the Black preacher’s cadence is of such that even when he speaks and talks, it may come off as a sermon,” Stokes said. “And it just might be that you’re having conversation, or you’re passionate about what you’re talking about.”Mary Frances McGowan is a political reporter for Cleveland.com. Prior to joining the team in 2025, McGowan was most recently a staff correspondent at National Journal, where she covered political campaigns for...
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