Call Governor Rick Perry's Office in Texas to Get Prayer Back in Schools-Fiction!

Call Governor Rick Perry's Office in Texas to Get Prayer Back in Schools-Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor The message says to call a toll free number at the office of Texas Governor Rick Perry and register your support of getting prayer back in schools. It says that the governor is conducting a survey of Texans on the topic. The originator of the email claims to have called and talked with someone at the governor's office and discovered that they have received only 20,000 calls since they started taking the calls last November.

The Truth The telephone number is authentic, but the eRumor is a hoax. Governor Perry's office tells TruthOrFiction.com there is no truth to the eRumor and a recording on his office phone explains that to people who call. The issue of prayer in schools is a constitutional one that would need to be handled by Congress and the courts. This is the second telephone hoax to plague governor Perry's office in recent months. Another false story claimed that the governor was surveying Texas citizens about whether to make the maximum speed limit 55 miles-per-hour. CLICK HERE for that story. Last updated 6/26/02

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:
Subject: SCHOOL PRAYER IN TEXAS!!! THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.... PLEASE READ AND PASS ON.... Governor Rick Perry's office is surveying Texans about whether we support allowing prayer back in public schools. There's a number to call to register your opinion, and you will talk to a live human being! I called and it only takes a few minutes. And it's free. The office reports only 20,000 calls since they began the survey in November. The number is toll free: 800-252-9600. Send this email to as many people as you can to get the phones ringing.