WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday had good news for the Milford Good News Club – ruling that an upstate school cannot bar the after-class kiddie Christian club while welcoming the Scouts.
Some legal experts predicted the 6-3 decision would have a dramatic affect on public schools everywhere – either shutting the school doors to all outside activities or allowing fringe groups like witches’ covens to meet at school.
“The next question is, what is a religion?” said lawyer Frank Miller, who represented Milford’s school board.
New York state law bars outside groups from using schools for religious worship, but the state School Boards Association’s David Ernst said schools will now have to be evenhanded.
“When they make a decision to give access to some groups, the implication of this decision is that they are not able to deny access to groups like the Good News Club,” Ernst said.
The high court – overturning a federal appeals court – ruled that the Milford Central School District discriminated against the club because of its religious viewpoint and violated its free-speech rights by refusing to allow the group to hold after-school Bible lessons. In the lessons, children, ages 6 to 12, were urged to be “saved.”
The group’s meetings feature a Bible lesson, prayer and memorization games using scripture.
The American Civil Liberties Union warned the ruling will “blur the line between public school and Sunday school.”
But Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority that the club, which met immediately after the last class of the day, simply “teaches morals and character development” just as the school itself does.
“It says quite clearly and loudly that you cannot discriminate against religious speakers – it ends the debate,” said Thomas Marcelle, the lawyer representing Milford preacher Stephen Fournier, who started the Bible club for his daughter and other young kids.