'The goal is to get them when they're young' “It’s important for all of us to have free speech and equal access,” Staver said. The district has allowed numerous other organizations the free use of its facilities for afterschool programs, such as the Boys & Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Girls on the Run without imposing similar hurdles while denying the Good New Clubs, Staver argues. More from the courts: He spent decades in prison saying he didn't commit a crime. To date, CEF RI has not received a response, the suits said. In June, 2022 CEF RI’s state director Alan Snow submitted another proposal for the club, followed by a Jan. In the nearly two years since, lawyers for CEF RI have sent repeated demand letters, but received few if any responses, even with inquiries also coming from D’Abate Principal Brent Kermen, according to the suit. He was told that Figueroa would speak with the superintendent. In September, Baker provided a program overview, sample lesson and curriculum, along with a legal memo explaining why such clubs are allowed. Nick Figueroa, chief of family and community engagement, asked repeatedly how the club would accommodate non-Christian participants, to which Baker said the clubs welcomed children of all religious beliefs and backgrounds, according to the suit. In August 2021, CEF Rhode Island board Chairman Ryan Baker met with Providence school officials about resuming the D’Abate club and starting a new club at Leviton Elementary Dual Language School in Providence. The program was canceled with COVID pandemic shutdowns. Leaders say 48 children signed up, but the program could accommodate only 20 due to space. Providence schools allowed a Good News Club at William D’Abate Elementary School for the 2019-2020 school year. Lawsuit: District allows other organizations to use school facilities They’re a positive influence,” Staver said. “It’s a huge opportunity that’s a very big benefit to the child and his parents. The Child Evangelism Fellowship of Rhode Island’s website identifies teachers as “Concerned Christians who want to share the love of God and the message of Jesus Christ work together volunteering their time and energy to prepare and train to teach children in Good News Clubs.” About 90 students participate in elementary and middle school clubs in Coventry, Cranston and Chariho, with more than 4,800 clubs nationwide, Staver said. More: Groups say RI's social studies curriculum will teach students to 'hate their country' What are Good News Clubs and what districts in Rhode Island have them?Īccording to the lawsuit, Good News Clubs typically are led by volunteer teachers once a week without regard for students' religious beliefs, as long as they have their parents' permission. McElroy to declare the district’s policies unconstitutional and to require the district to accommodate the Good News Clubs. “They continue to deny equal access to Good New Clubs … You cannot discriminate based on a Christian viewpoint,” said Mathew Staver, lead lawyer for Orlando-based Liberty Counsel, a “Christian ministry that proclaims, advocates, supports, advances, and defends the good news that God in the person of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins and offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who accept him as Lord and Savior.”Ĭhild Evangelism Fellowship of Rhode Island is asking U.S. The clubs, they say, enrich students’ lives by providing religious teachings and other activities that encourage spiritual growth and service to others, as well as social, emotional and leadership development. Now, the Child Evangelism Fellowship of Rhode Island is suing the Providence Public School District and Superintendent Javier Montañez in federal court, alleging the district is driven by hostility toward the group’s religious message in denying elementary school students access to “free, positive and character-building” Good News Clubs. PROVIDENCE – Good News Clubs promise students Biblical storytelling, games, songs and life lessons, but would-be organizers say they’ve been blocked from hosting the after-school gatherings in Providence public schools for two years – in violation, they say, of their free speech and equal protection rights.
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