Mental health talk by ministry leader at Alpena high school cancelled due to illness

A mental health presentation by the head of a fundamentalist religious organization at a Michigan school has been cancelled, school officials said on Monday.

Alpena Public School officials said Scott Ritsema of Belt of Truth Ministries cancelled his trip to the school district on Tuesday because he is sick.

More:'Reclaiming your ... soul': Ministry's mental health talk in Alpena schools under scrutiny

Ritsema had been asked by the district to present his talk, "The Media Mind: Reclaiming Your Human Soul from the Digital Dark Age," as part of a series of discussions on student mental health for the month of May.

Lee Fitzpatrick, district spokesperson, said there was no rescheduled date for the event.

"Not at this time. We are almost to the end of the school year.," Fitzpatrick said via email.

Some parents and residents of the district voiced concerns over the presentation by a religious leader.

District officials had defended the talk, vowing it would be non-religious and essential to addressing the increased levels of anxiety and depression experienced by students as they become more dependent on social media use.

"This is not a religious presentation in any way, shape or form," David Rabbideau, superintendent of schools, told The News last week.

Legal experts said the free presentation, which was to be given after school hours, was not for credit and was not an assembly or a graduation, and did not appear to violate federal laws that require schools to maintain religious neutrality and inclusivity within a public educational environment.

The Belt of Truth Ministry's website describes itself as "a fundamental Bible-believing faith-based community." The site says Ritsema began the ministry, based in the Montcalm County community of Lakeview, in 2013 "to lead others to Jesus — not as a career, but as a calling."

jchambers@detroitnews.com