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Religious Freedom in Public School and College Campus'

Student's have Rights!

Situation

Although students have long had the right to engage in religious expression in public schools, districts across the country often prohibit them from exercising these rights based on a  false view of the law. Students across the country are increasingly facing hostility and censorship while attempting to exercise their constitutionally protected religious beliefs- all in the name of “tolerance”.

ADF is working to help protect these cherished freedoms and to restore rights guaranteed by the Constitution. In many cases, issues have been resolved by contacting the appropriate school officials and explaining the correct interpretation of the law. When this has not been successful, however, ADF attorneys are willing to take the necessary legal action to ensure that Christian students are treated no differently than other students.


What can you do?
Join concerned Christians from across America and the Alliance Defense Fund in the movement to protect and preserve religious liberties on our public school campuses.  You can donate your time, your voice, and your financial support.

Join projects like the National Free to Speak Campaign. This is a joint project of Gateways to Better Education & Alliance Defense Fund. The goal is to impact thousand of schools across the country while giving students, parents and educators practical information clarifying student rights on campus. The campaign has produced a pocket-sized student pamphlet entitled, “Free to Speak: What the U.S. Department of Education says about public school students’ religious liberties.” The campaign encourages churches and campus clubs to purchase the pamphlets in sets of 100 and distribute them throughout their schools and communities.

Additionally, the churches and clubs can request that ADF send a letter clarifying religious liberties on campus to any school administrator. Together, their goal is to distribute 500,000 pamphlets and reach 5,000 schools by the end of the year. For more information, visit the National Free to Speak Campaign Web page.

Resources

Equal Access

Christians should have the same rights as everyone else
 

Situation
Equal access means that religious groups should have the same access to facilities and funding that all other groups enjoy.   The foundation for the principle of equal access is found in the Constitution of the United States, as well as the Equal Access Act passed by Congress in 1984.  Unfortunately, in too many cases, public officials, operating under a false understanding of the so-called “separation of church and state,” block religious groups from exercising this First Amendment right.

Context
ADF has fought for, and reclaimed, this right before the United States Supreme Court.  Because of ADF litigated and funded legal precedents, religious groups now have more access to public facilities and funding than ever before.

It is imperative that we continue to fight for the rights of Christians to live out their religious convictions without fear of government persecution.

Opposition
ACLU – “The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed regret over a Supreme Court decision permitting religious clubs to provide instruction to elementary school children on school grounds.” (http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLiberty.cfm?ID=7311&c=139)

People for the American Way – “Religious Right political groups are more engaged than ever in an assault on public education in America.” (http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=12072)

Freedom from Religion Foundation – “The religious right is campaigning to raid the public till and advance religion at taxpayer expense, attacking our secular public schools, the rights of nonbelievers, and the Establishment Clause.” (http://www.ffrf.org/purposes/)

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State – “What is disturbing about Good News is that it is the first Supreme Court decision to apply this line of cases in the context of elementary school students.” (http://www.au.org/site/DocServer/Good_News.pdf?docID=184)
 read about the Good News case here.  (id=2837)

Allies
Christian Legal Society – “…if a school allows its facilities to be used by secular community groups, it must permit religious groups to use them on equal terms.” (http://www.clsnet.org/clrfPages/pubs/eqAc_Elementary.php) 

See more ADF Allies.