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Liberty Counsel filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) against Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Principal Chantelle Lewis. CEF’s Good News Club, a religious, after-school club, is seeking access to the school facilities after the District insisted on charging the club a discriminatory access fee at Miles @ Cranwood Elementary School.

During the 2011/2012 school year, CEF maintained a Good News Club at Miles @ Cranwood Elementary School without being assessed any facility-use fees. However, last year, the District began charging CEF $69.50 per hour, and the club had to close. Although the school board states that every community group is required to pay the fee to use the facility, the Boy Scouts of America, another character-building youth club, is conducting after-school meetings at Miles @ Cranwood Elementary School free of charge.

Good News Clubs is one of the most positive things to happen to public schools. Imposing a financial barrier based on the religious viewpoint violates the right to free speech and hurts children. Whether the school bans a group from accessing its facilities because of its religious viewpoint or places a financial barrier on the group based on its religious viewpoint, the outcome is the same–the Constitution has been violated. Equal access means equal treatment.

Pray for the Good News Clubs, and pray that the doors of opportunity open at Miles @ Cranwood Elementary School.

Read our news release for more details and then head over to our Facebook page to let us know what you think. Also, check out this month’s Liberator.
 

Patriots Handbook of Religious Freedom in Public Schools

The Patriots Handbook of Religious Freedom in Public Schools contains reliable, court-proven guidelines for students, teachers, and other community members exercising their constitutional rights of free speech, free association, and religious expression in public schools. This handbook is yours for a donation of $3.00 or more to Liberty Counsel.
 

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