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9th Circuit Says School Can Require Relgious Clubs Be Open To All

By Howard Friedman

In Truth v. Kent School District, (9th Cir., April 25, 2008), the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held that a Washington state school district did not violate either the federal Equal Access Act nor the First Amendment when it applied its non-discrimination policy to "Truth", a Bible study club seeking recognition as a student group. The school said the group must remove from its charter a requirement that limits membership to those who sign a fundamentalist Christian statement of faith. However the court remanded the case for a determination of whether Truth's rights were violated when it, unlike some other groups, was denied an exemption from the school district's non-discrimination policy. Truth alleged that at least two non-religious groups received exemptions from requirements of the school's non-discrimination policy that prohibits limiting membership on the basis of gender. Reuters reports on the court's decision.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on April 28, 2008 (boomark / email).