Good Information Membership Takes CA College District to Court docket for Alleged Anti-Christian Discrimination
A Christian non secular rights regulation agency is taking a California college district to court docket claiming it unlawfully prohibited a ministry from utilizing the district’s public amenities to carry its after-school Good Information Golf equipment.
As CBN Information reported, Liberty Counsel alleges Oakland Unified College District (OUSD), Superintendent Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, and the varsity board are discriminating towards Baby Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) NorCal East Bay by denying its elementary college Good Information Golf equipment from utilizing its amenities on an equal foundation with different related non-religious organizations.
The group offered proof at a preliminary injunction listening to Thursday in U.S. District Court docket to assist their declare including that the
district’s denials violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments and California state regulation.
“CEF utilized to make use of amenities on 4 totally different campuses throughout the OUSD for greater than two years however had been denied on non secular grounds, pretextual schemes, and even by silence,” Liberty Counsel defined in an announcement, calling it “discriminatory denials.”
Earlier than the COVID pandemic, OUSD had allowed CEF NorCal East Bay to host Good Information Golf equipment on its campuses. In response to the pandemic, the varsity district canceled all golf equipment within the spring of 2020.
Nevertheless, when CEF requested to renew the Good Information Golf equipment all through the spring and fall of 2023, elementary college officers responded with quite a lot of denials.
In a number of cases, college officers allegedly displayed non secular viewpoint discrimination stating that CEF was not a “good match,” and “we’re not in assist of evangelism on our campus.”
The district additionally denied CEF NorCal East Bay as a result of there was “no house” accessible even when areas had been reportedly listed as accessible on-line, and in addition did not grant the group’s “neighborhood partnership” software “because of its non secular programming.”
Liberty Counsel despatched its first demand letter to Dr. Johnson-Trammell in March 2023 notifying the district that denying Good Information Golf equipment’ equal entry based mostly on CEF’s non secular beliefs is viewpoint discrimination.
After the varsity district continued to disclaim the Good Information Golf equipment equal entry, the regulation agency despatched a second demand letter in December 2023 reiterating illegal viewpoint discrimination.
Thus far, different organizations comparable to Ladies on the Run and Berkely Chess College are allowed to make use of college amenities for after-school packages, however college officers haven’t responded to Liberty Counsel or CEF’s software.
In response to Liberty Counsel, OUSD has not contested the proof offered in court docket paperwork, however officers did notice that its response to CEF is consistent with a “new coverage” and “new practices.” Nevertheless, state and faculty district rules reportedly don’t mirror any adjustments.
Liberty Counsel is asking a U.S. District court docket to situation a preliminary injunction pending trial, and a everlasting injunction upon judgment to permit CEF to host its Good Information Golf equipment at OUSD amenities.
The group cites a 2001 Supreme Court docket resolution, Good Information Membership v. Milford Central College, that dominated that public colleges violate the First Modification by not offering equal entry and equal therapy to Christian golf equipment when the varsity has opened the discussion board to secular golf equipment.
“The Oakland Unified College District should give the Good Information Golf equipment equal entry and therapy because the equally located non-religious teams on public college campuses,” stated Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver. “Baby Evangelism Fellowship provides kids a biblically based mostly training that features ethical and character growth. Good Information Golf equipment needs to be in each public elementary college and that features these Oakland colleges.”
As CBN Information has reported, based 87 years in the past, the CEF is a global non-profit worldwide kids’s ministry. CEF Good Information Golf equipment positively influence the lives of youngsters and their households. The golf equipment usually meet as soon as per week, instantly after college, and are led by skilled and vetted local people volunteers. They supply non secular and different educating and actions to encourage studying, religious development, and repair to others, in addition to social, emotional, character, and management growth.
The ministry additionally studies college officers are seeing the constructive distinction the Christian golf equipment make. A survey of over 200 principals from 28 states reported that 87 % of these principals the place the golf equipment are situated “observed an enchancment in scholar habits.”
One principal stated: “For the reason that Good Information Membership has been part of our faculty, the workplace referrals have decreased.”
Good Information Golf equipment are voluntary, don’t cost any payment, and welcome kids with written permission from dad and mom. There are at present 3,041 Good Information Golf equipment in public elementary colleges throughout america.
Liberty Counsel has represented roughly 200 CEF circumstances nationally and has by no means misplaced a case involving Good Information Golf equipment.
CBN Information has reached out OUSD for remark. On the time of publication, they’d not responded to the request.
***Please join CBN Newsletters and obtain the CBN Information app to make sure you preserve receiving the newest information.***
