An Oklahoma school district is facing a lawsuit for allegedly forbidding organizers of a Christian club from promoting events on campus.
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“This is a simple matter of a school district targeting a Christian organization,” said Matt Sharp, an attorney representing the “Kids for Christ,” a community-led Christian group suing the Owasso Public Schools.
Sharp, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, said the school district revoked the club’s ability to publicize events – at school, in the community and even through the media.
“They have a specific policy on the books that targets religious expression by community organizations,” he told Fox News.
School officials confirmed Monday afternoon they had received the lawsuit – but said they have not had time to review the contents.
Sharp said the club meetings at the local elementary school and is open to students in kindergarten through the fifth grade. Other clubs including the Boy Scouts and YMCA are allowed to promote activities at the school, but the Christian group is not.
“The superintendent said they were religious and couldn’t have the same access as other clubs,” he said.
The club was organized last year and Sharp said the “Kids for Christ” were initially given permission to promote activities through flyers and announcements. But that changed with the new semester.
Their ultimate goal with the lawsuit?
“We want equal access,” he said.
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religion has no place in public schools.
then neither does the Y or the scouts..
"Public schools can neither foster religion nor preclude it. Our public schools must treat religion with fairness and respect and vigorously protect religious expression as well as the freedom of conscience of all other students. Richard W. Riley
U.S. Secretary of Education
There's a big difference between a public school promoting a religion and a community trying to organize a Christian club on school grounds. Separation of church and state is totally taken out of context here.
We have freedom of Religion, not freedom from religion… a big legal difference.
Apparently neither does any sort of learning, judging by your ignorance,m you little snake
BUT, "religion" was ALWAYS "taught" in our public schools, since the founding of our nation! The BIBLE was "taught" in our public schools. So, who are WE to say it shouldn't be taught in public schools, when IT ALWAYS WAS? When I was in grade school (about first grade, or so) we couldn't go inside the school building until the Principal led us in prayer first, and then we all sang "God Bless America". Believe it or not, I don't know one student who was "damaged" by this routine!
Dixie Trent, it is a misconception that our Founding Fathers promoted a pro-Christian or any religious atmosphere in the public sector. This whole idea that God and the Bible have always been a part of our American heritage. This stems from that was propagated during the Cold War. For example, the Pledge of Allegiance was written by Reverend Francis Bellamy in 1892 a time of religious Conservatism; however even though it was written in the Victorian Age the original Pledge did not include "Under God." This addition was included in the Pledge until 1954 during the height of the Cold War, to show that we as American's were a more God fearing nation than the "Godless Commies." In a similar not the hand over the heart during the Star Spangled Banner and the Pledge was not implemented until the rise of Hitler because we too as Americans did the Hail Hitler hand salute to our nation's flag. So to argue that America has always been this way is not true because we re-write our history all the time push our modern agendas. On a side note about our Founding Fathers, most of them sorry tell you were not Christian and wanted to edit the Bible, in fact Jefferson (a Deist) ripped up his copy of the Bible and put it back together in his own way that reflected a modern tone that fit his needs. Just an FYI.
yes, it does! HELLOO??!!
KIDS FOR CHRIST IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION…KEEP ON WITH IT! YOU WIIL BE BLESSED!
I USE CHRIST TOOTHPASTE FOR A CLEAN, FRESH, PURE AND HOLY MOUTH.
It's a club if you don't what they do or say don't attend that clubs meetings.
that is unfair to the kids…what is wrong with this country? you can indoctrinate children with liberal garbage, but you can't let children learn about God? You can't let them promote their activities through flyers and announcements? A fool has said in their heart there is no God. You must be a fool then. Maybe the administration should read the Constitution, if you exclude the Kids for Christ then you must omit all groups, it would only be fair. What are you afraid of? Somebody finding some Jesus? Maybe you should let God back into your schools..you see what happened when you kicked Him out don't you?
This is another of the many examples of leaders in our gov and public schools misinterpreting the "establishment clause." While the First Amendment prohibits Congress making laws "respecting an establishment of religion" which would prohibit the "free exercise thereof," those who cry "separation of church and state" seek to do that very thing, urge Congress and states to make those very prohibitive laws. Apparently many in our nation need to be informed or reminded that "a wall of separation between church and state" is not in the Constitution.
And they "forget" that the word "respecting" means REGARDING! The First Amendment prohibits Congress "from making laws REGARDING an establishment of religion". So, the Johnson Act, which FORBIDS pastors/ministers/priests from "political speech in the pulpit" is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL!
Dixie Trent , absolutely!!
Dixie Trent: It only "forbids" ministers, etc. from making political speeches from the pulpit in the sense that their tax-exempt status will be revoked because a church is a religious organization, not a political organization. They aren't "forbidden" in the sense that it's illegal and they'll be arrested.
I'M NOT A VERY RELIGIOUS PERSON. Thsi , however is as close to an atheist trying 5o promote his program as anything I have seen.
Remove this guy no matter how long it takes.
Apparently the Owasso Public School district has never heard of the Equal Access Act which was passed in 1984 and further upheld by the Supreme Court in 1990 in the case Board of Education of Westside Community Schools v. Mergens. The Equal Access Act speaks specifically to what the school is doing since they are clearly violating the first amendment rights of their Christan students. If you happen to work for the school or you are experiencing similar discrimination based on your faith read more about the Equal Access Act here.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode20/usc_sec_20_00004071—-000-.html
I led a Bible study my senior year (1984) at Owasso and we were in the yearbook with all the other clubs. I know for a fact it went on many years after I graduated. sad to hear this news.
I think we need to stop Lesbian sex from being on any school reading list. Sex is Personal and should be discussed between parents and children when the children become of age. We don't need our children program! Parents need to teach there children to come to them when they have a problem—-no matter what?
The next thing, a Christian won't be permitted to go to PUBLIC school unless they renounce their faith. Sort of like a Madrassa.
What I find to be ironic about this commentary is its specific mentioning that the YMCA and the Boys Scouts of America are allowed to promote activities but not a Christian group… Last time I checked YMCA stood for "Young Men's CHRISTIAN Association" and The Boy Scouts of America were granted full protection under the law to discriminate against homosexual and bisexual boys and men because it was a Religious group, specifically Christian, and they had a "right" to select their congregation and follow their own tenets of morality. So for Sharp to argue that this group is targeted because it is a Christian group is irresponsible and just plain ignorant in terms of his own argument.
This will be the norm as long as the federal government is responsible for educating our children. They only want brain washed little sheeples they can control with their media propaganda when they become adults. It's time for states to stand up and take back the responsibility of educating their children. The schools and the quality of education continue to go down. The federal government is only good for wasting money and pushing their socialist agenda upon our children.
Kids for Christ, Students for Sharia, Janitors for Jews, where does it end?
Some of these schools are so jacked up they want to keep out a church that's wants to teach about Christ but yet some schools want to teach kids as young as 11 about Graphic Sex Ed classes ( NEW YORK CITY) What the Hell is wrong with this Counrty , Are morals are so far out there, I live not far form Owasso , in Coweta and we have Christain class U can take in High school.
A county or city should offer classes on religion, but if they offer 1 than they have to offer them all and they should be taught from a neutral perspective not a biased one… that is when we get into trouble.
These whining idiots need to keep their delusional religion out of schools. We don't invade their churches and spread evolution materials around…they want the whole GD pie. http://home.windstream.net/krolla/boohoo.jpg
Hopefully, the Superintendent's position is an elected one. He may have to depend on the voter's of his county to voice what they think of his actions in the next election. In Oklahoma, "political correctness" may not get the popular vote…
All I can suggest is for the people i.e. the parents of the children who want to participate in this, to really get their children together and pray to the Lord for His Work to be done here, i.e. to open up that door, and make it a wide opening for all who want to come and stay open until He Returns! Blessings and may God grant you to be able to renew the work to be done there. This is only an obstical course that needs His breath to blow it away.