PROVIDENCE, RI – In a victory for equal access, Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) Rhode Island and its Good News Clubs prevailed in Liberty Counsel’s lawsuit against the Providence Public School District and its superintendent, Dr. Javier Montanez. The Good News Clubs are now free to hold after school Bible clubs. Today, a federal district court approved a Consent Decree that prevents the school district from discriminating against CEF, declaring the Christian clubs are entitled to equal access “on the same terms” as other after school clubs.
In March 2023, Liberty Counsel filed a lawsuit on behalf of CEF Rhode Island after the school district discriminated against them by repeatedly ignoring their applications and not allowing its Good News Clubs on campuses while allowing other clubs to meet. As a result of the victory, the Providence Public School District is permanently mandated to treat the Good News Clubs “on an equal basis with similarly situated organizations, such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Girls on the Run.”
Good News Clubs do not charge any fee and welcome children with written permission from parents. There are currently more than 4,800 Good News Clubs in public elementary and middle schools across the United States, including in other Rhode Island school districts.
Throughout 2021, the school district failed to respond to repeated facilities use applications by CEF Rhode Island to hold after school Good News Clubs. In March 2021, Liberty Counsel received thousands of pages of public records from the school district revealing that when it denied the Good News Clubs’ facilities use requests by repeated failures to respond, the school district was routinely approving the requests of similar groups. In November and December 2021, Liberty Counsel requested prompt approval of CEF’s requests to hold the after school Good News Clubs. The school district did not approve any of CEF’s facilities use requests, despite Liberty Counsel’s letters setting forth the applicable facts, policies, and law.
Mat Staver on War Room with Steve Bannon
There are currently more than 4,800 Good News Clubs in public elementary and middle schools across America. Mat Staver joined Steve Bannon on the War Room to discuss how Liberty Counsel is successfully defending these Bible clubs, despite atheists’ threats to retaliate with “Satanist” clubs.
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