Atheist zealots have managed to shut down a Christian club at an elementary school in rural Florida. The school dismantled the group after an atheist organization sent a letter whining about the existence of the religious club.
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Hamilton County Elementary School shut down its chapter of the North Central Florida Fellowship of Christian Athletes, according to the Christian Post. The move came after the Freedom From Religion Foundation, an organization known for attacking Christians in various areas of American society, wrote a letter accusing the school of violating the U.S. Constitution.
FFRF, which touts itself as the largest atheist legal group in the U.S. and has sued on behalf of The Satanic Temple regarding its after-school clubs, routinely sends letters to public schools demanding them to remove Christian groups, imagery or music.
Citing a Facebook post showing a photo of the FCA chapter gathering at the school, FFRF Legal Fellow Sammi Lawrence wrote in her March 29 letter that the school was guilty of a “constitutional violation” by allowing the Christian club to happen.
While the 1984 Equal Access Act allows public high schools to permit a religious school, the law does not apply to elementary schools, Lawrence argued.
In the letter, the FFRF complained that “Hamilton Elementary is allowing a religious club for children at the elementary school during the school day” and demanded that the district “immediately investigate this situation and ensure that the FCA club at Hamilton Elementary is disbanded.”
The organization also argued that students at the school “have the First Amendment right to be free from religious indoctrination in their public schools” and that “Elementary students are too young to truly run a club entirely on their own initiative” without input from adult members of school staff.
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An attorney representing the school district responded to the FRFF’s letter, explaining that the investigation found “a small group of fifth graders” were part of the FCA club. The attorney pointed out that “While these same students will be eligible to participate in FCA on the campus of Hamilton County High School in a few short months as sixth graders,” the school disbanded the club “in an effort to avoid any perception that such a gathering on the campus of Hamilton Elementary is being organized, promoted or endorsed by the District or its employees.”
So, this particular instance appears to be an empty victory for the FRFF. The kids the organization sought to prevent from being part of a Christian group will soon be able to do so in a few months, which means the atheist zealots haven’t accomplished much.
Nevertheless, the group celebrated this supposed triumph in a press release.
“Students have the First Amendment right to be free from religious indoctrination in their public schools. While the Equal Access Act protects students’ right to form religious clubs in secondary schools, it does not apply to elementary schools,” a legal fellow for the FFRF wrote.
FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor also scolded the school for allowing students to be “indoctrinated” by religion.
“The Hamilton County School District ought to know better than allowing a religious group free access to students during the day,” Gaylor added in the release. “School districts exist to educate, not indoctrinate into religion.”
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The move was met with criticism from Christian organizations.
Justin Butterfield, who serves as senior counsel for the religious liberty nonprofit First Liberty Institute, was critical of the school’s response to FRFF.
“Banning students from having a religious club at a school while permitting other, secular clubs is a travesty that teaches children their faith is unwelcome and must be hidden,” Butterfield said in a statement.
“The Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized that students’ religious viewpoints are protected by the First Amendment and that students do not give up their free speech rights while at school — including elementary schools,” Butterfield continued.
“When groups like FFRF pressure schools to ban religious student clubs like FCA while permitting secular clubs, those groups are pressuring schools to break the law,” he added.
The FCA on its website defended students who wished to maintain a Christian club on campuses. It argued that the organization “has the legal right to meet on high school and college campuses across the country where other student-led groups meet as well.”