On Monday, Alpena Public School officials announced the cancellation of a mental health presentation scheduled to be given by Scott Ritsema of Belt of Truth Ministries. Ritsema, who was set to present at the school in May as part of a series of discussions on student mental health, cancelled his trip due to illness.
Lee Fitzpatrick, a district spokesperson, confirmed that there is no rescheduled date for the event at this time. Some parents and residents in the district had expressed concerns about a religious leader delivering a presentation in a public school setting. Despite these concerns, district officials had assured that the talk would be non-religious and focused on addressing the rising levels of anxiety and depression among students due to increased social media use.
David Rabbideau, superintendent of schools, emphasized that the presentation was not religious in nature and was intended to provide support to students. Legal experts also noted that the free presentation, scheduled after school hours and not for credit, did not appear to violate federal laws regarding religious neutrality in public schools. Belt of Truth Ministry’s website describes the organization as a faith-based community led by Ritsema, who started the ministry in 2013 with the goal of guiding others to Jesus.