Information Alert: Religious Liberty Win!

Victoria Cobb, President
Tuesday, September 23, 2008

A federal court recently ruled in favor of students in the Williamsburg-James City County School District after the superintendent unfairly charged a fee to a Christian group for use of facilities. The district school board ignored advice from Liberty Counsel, a Christian law group, and will now have to cough up over $20,000 in taxpayer money to pay for its discrimination.

The case was brought by the Child Evangelism Fellowship of Virginia after it was forced to pay fees for use of school facilities when other groups were allowed free access. Liberty Counsel warned the school district that it was discriminating, but the school district refused to listen. Liberty Counsel then brought suit and won in federal court.

Once again a school administration choose to act against religious liberty in the face of not only the U.S. Constitution and previous court rulings, but advice from a premier legal group. It is unfortunate that the school administrator’s decision will cost the taxpayers of that county over $20,000.

As The Family Foundation fought to pass legislation this year to protect the religious liberty rights of students in the classroom we were confronted over and over with the argument that “there isn’t a problem” and that “religious expression thrives in Virginia.” We know this is not true, and this case is more evidence.

Unfortunately, some school administrators are outright hostile to religious expression, but many are simply ignorant. Virginia schools are working under religious liberty guidelines drafted by the Attorney General James Gilmore in the mid 90s. They are very outdated and need revision. We are currently working with the Attorney General’s office in hopes that they will update the guidelines.