The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed a federal lawsuit against a Washington school district Wednesday after officials refused to honor the rights of Christian students wishing to assemble on campus.
The East Valley School District in Spokane, Wash., has denied the group access to school facilities during the school day for prayer and religious discussions while allowing other students to meet for nonreligious purposes.
“Christians shouldn’t be discriminated against based on their beliefs,” said David Cortman, ADF senior legal counsel. “School officials cannot deny the constitutional rights of Christian students simply because they want to engage in religious discussion and prayer.”
The school’s career services room is open three days a week during the lunch period for students to engage in discussion and group activities. But the Christian group was prohibited from meeting.
“The school’s position is at odds with numerous court decisions on such matters,” said Jeremy Tedesco, legal counsel for ADF. “As the Supreme Court has stated, students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate.”
