Student Permitted to Form Bible Club After Previous Denial

New York’s Waterville Central School District is permitting a student to form a Bible club after previously denying his request.

“We strive to provide all students with opportunities to learn, grow, and connect through various activities, including student-run clubs,” Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Spring told Fox News. “In January 2024, inaccurate information was shared with a student regarding the ability to officially establish a Bible Study Club and alternative options were proposed to the group. There was renewed interest to start the club in September 2024, and students began meeting weekly in the library, which they have been doing since then.”

“In line with district policy, the Board of Education, by resolution, will formally establish the Bible Study Club during its December 10 meeting,” she explained. “We appreciate the patience of our students and their families during this process.”

The statement follows First Liberty Institute and Jones Day law firm sending a letter to the school district after it denied a request for a student to form a Bible club. The school district has previously permitted the formation of a club called the “Gay Straight Alliance.”

Eighth-grade student Elijah Nelson made several requests to create the Bible club over a two-year period. He was told by staff that they “cannot have a school-sponsored club associated with a religion meaning that we can’t fund the club or provide an advisor.”

While the school’s representatives later said the club could meet informally during lunch or apply as an outside organization for after-hours gatherings, the school denied making the club official.

First Liberty Institute wrote in the letter to school officials that the denial “violates Elijah’s civil rights and First Amendment freedoms.” The letter noted that the student fulfilled the necessary requirements to form a club.

Assistant Principal Lindsay Owens told Elijah’s father that the school could not officially recognize the club because, according to school district lawyers, “recognizing a religious club would unconstitutionally ‘endorse’ religion.” First Liberty’s letter asserted that such advice was “legally incorrect.”

The letter noted that while the Supreme Court once held that endorsement of a religious activity was included in the Establishment Clause, it is no longer included. “Today, the Establishment Clause never requires—and never allows—the government to discriminate against religious observers and organizations when granting benefits,” the letter said.

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