INDIANAPOLIS - Today, Liberty Counsel filed a federal lawsuit against an Indiana school district on behalf of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) for the ministry's Good News Club. The case, Child Evangelism Fellowship of Indiana v. Indiana Metropolitan School District of Pike Township, seeks equal access and benefits for the Good News Club to public school facilities as non-religious groups.
For nearly two school years, CEF sought to host its Good News Club for students in the Indiana school district and has continually met resistance. The district has ignored CEF's attempts to resolve the First Amendment concerns. The district has required CEF to pay facilities use fee of $45 per session while similar groups have their fees waived. CEF hosted six sessions of its Good News Club in the Spring 2015 semester and paid a total of $270.00 in fees.
Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel said, "The law is clear that public schools cannot discriminate against the Christian viewpoint of the Good News Club. Equal access means equal treatment in terms of use of the facilities, including fee waivers, time of meetings, and announcements. Equal access is a simple concept. Public schools cannot discriminate against Christian viewpoints on otherwise permissible subject matters. The Good News Club must be given equal treatment as the non-religious groups," said Staver.
Child Evangelism Fellowship has been encouraging learning, spiritual growth and service to others since 1937 and is actively expanding ministry into new nations and new areas within nations with a goal of reaching Every Child, Every Nation, Every Day.
Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.
