As AFN has reported, the Oakland Unified School District in Oakland, California is unlawfully denying Good News Clubs access to elementary school facilities.
Daniel Schmid, associate vice president of legal affairs for Liberty Counsel, says this is unfortunate, but it is common throughout the country.
"A school district will determine that Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) shouldn't be included in the after-school programs or that it is not permitted to allow a religious group to gather on school property after school," he explains. "It goes back a long way."
24 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that if non-religious clubs were allowed to access school facilities after hours, then CEF must likewise be allowed to host its Good News Clubs.
"That's just a basic requirement of the First Amendment," says Schmid. "But we still see across the country school districts either ignore that or try to get cute and work around it. Here, Oakland has just ignored it altogether and has denied CEF's applications to use their facilities for almost two years now."
Liberty Counsel has represented CEF across the country for many years, winning their dozens of cases along the way. This lawsuit was filed toward the end of 2024.
"We had tried writing several letters to the school district. They were ignored or, in a couple instances, outright denied," the attorney relays. "So, we were forced to file a lawsuit, and … we have a hearing coming up at the end of the month."
With the Supreme Court and the Constitution on their side, his team plans to press the court and find CEF some relief in Oakland.
