Good News for Connecticut Schools

Wolcott,
CT~ The Wolcott School District has now reversed its discriminatory
practice of denying equal access to Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF)
Good News Clubs in its elementary schools. Following intervention
by Liberty Counsel, CEF of Connecticut will now be permitted to use
the District facilities on the same basis as other similarly situated
secular groups.

In
the past, CEF has held Good News Club meetings at Wolcott elementary
schools and has been charged only the minimal charges applicable to
local nonprofit or “Group I” organizations, such as the
Boy Scouts and similar groups. When CEF applied for facilities use
for the 2006-2007 school year, District officials insisted that CEF
must be charged as a “non-Wolcott” “Group II”
organization. Under the District’s Schedule of Facilities Charges,
Group I users are identified as Wolcott community organizations conducting
routine nonprofit business and activities, listing organizations including
the Boy and Girl Scouts. Group II users are “all other organizations
and non-Wolcott organizations” and include, for example, “religious
groups,” “dance studios” and “for-profit organizations.”

In
December, 2006, Liberty Counsel sent a demand letter stating in part:
“CEF of Connecticut is entitled to use school facilities at
Wolcott schools on the same terms and conditions as are Boy Scouts
and other community nonprofit groups under Group I. Based upon the
legal authorities discussed in this letter, we request that the Board
respond, in writing, to CEF’s request for facilities use for
the upcoming school year and confirm that CEF will be entitled to
use facilities as a Group I user…. Since the District’s
decision is clearly unconstitutional, every day that CEF is denied
access represents a continuing violation of CEF’s First Amendment
rights.”

Senior
Litigation Counsel Mary McAlister also spoke with the school district’s
attorney after he had received a copy of the letter. CEF staff members
attended a Board of Education meeting and presented their request
to board members. The Board tabled CEF’s appeal. After the meeting,
the superintendent asked to meet with CEF staff members. At the subsequent
meeting, the superintendent agreed that CEF was a local organization
entitled to access as a Group I user.

The First Amendment protects religious
viewpoints from discriminatory censorship. Treating religious viewpoints
almost equal to secular viewpoints is still unconstitutional. The
message of the First Amendment is clear. Equal access requires equal
treatment. Good News Clubs are exploding across America and that is
good news for our children.