GOLDONNA, La. – Hundreds of students, parents and local residents recently held a prayer vigil across from a local elementary and junior high to show support for a principal who was suspended for religious elements in a school play.

Natchitoches Parish schools superintendent Dale Skinner suspended principal Kendria Sanders for 10 days after a Christmas play Dec. 16 that featured a student-led prayer in the program, as well as other Christian religious elements in the play about Jesus, according to The Shreveport Times and KTBS.com.

Skinner told the Times administrators explained “what was legal and what wasn’t” regarding religious activities in schools at a recent principal’s meeting, and Sanders violated those rules. He said he supported the rally for Sanders, and the suspension wasn’t personal.

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Regardless, six area pastors held a joint community prayer rally Monday afternoon across the street from the school to show support for Sanders and “religious liberty,” according to the Times.

“I hope this goes from church to church,” Goldonna Baptist Church Pastor Jason Womack said of the massive turnout. “This is not just about Goldonna, but about bringing God first and foremost back into our hearts.”

Womack said the play featured junior high students performing a drama to a contemporary Christian song he described as “a beautiful historically accurate portrayal of Jesus,” KTBS reports.

Skinner said that federal law makes it illegal to advocate for Christian views in public schools, a lesson he’s repeatedly learned throughout his career.

As a principal of Natchitoches Central High School, he was the target of a prayer complaint, and dealt with Americans United for Separation of Church and State over another incident at Natchitoches Parish School, according to the Times.

“We were reported and had to stop immediately,” he said. “It appears they can do whatever they want no matter what you and I think.”

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Other area school district have also had run-ins with Americans United, including the Sabine Parish School Board, which recently settled a case brought by a local couple that required the district to remove religious photos and other materials from its schools.

“We are dealing with a federal law that has been in place for over 50 years. This is not something that came up last week. And Christians, every one of us have sat down and accepted this. Now that we are having to enforce the law people don’t understand,” Skinner told KTBS.com.

“We just have to be careful. We don’t want to encourage a lawsuit,” he told the Times.

Skinner said he tried to find a way to work in a prayer for veterans on Veteran’s Day, “but I was told we could not. You could have a moment of silence,” he said.

Skinner is expected to investigate the Christmas program and present a report to the board, but he told the Times he’s already identified some misinformation published by local media – such as reports that the play’s prayer was led by the principal, when it was actually a student.

Others, like pastor Womack, are also expected to address the school board.

“We believe God is God and we should be able to pray to Him when we want to,” church member and rally attendee Pat Bell told the Times. “Don’t deny us our rights.”

KTBS reports Sanders returned to her position Tuesday.