Christian Legal Society
	4208 Evergreen Lane, Suite 222 Annandale, VA 22003 (703) 642-1070 www.clsnet.org

RELEASE:    January 17, 2003

CONTACT:  Robert Showers, 703-771-4671 Nathan A. Adams tel. 703-642-1070 ext. 3504

BIBLE CLUB FILES SUIT AGAINST MARYLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT
POLICIES PREVENT EQUAL ACCESS FOR RELIGIOUS GROUPS

Greenbelt, MD - An elementary school Bible club filed suit against the Montgomery County school district today after being denied equal access to tools for communicating with parents.

The district regularly distributes the flyers of secular community organizations, but refused to send home the flyers of a Good News Club simply because its activities are religious. The group was also denied equal participation in open houses and back-to-school nights hosted by schools to promote after-school activities.

"There is a common misconception among school districts that the Constitution requires them to discriminate against religion," said Robert Showers, one of the attorneys for Good News Club. "We're not asking for special privileges, just equal treatment."

Because students can only attend Good News Club with parental permission, the school district's restrictions limit attendance at the club's meetings and prevented parents from receiving information about all after-school options for their children.

"Public school districts shouldn't censor the information that goes home to parents," continued Showers. "The district's policy effectively steers students toward certain groups and away from others."

But many school districts are rethinking their policies in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing religious groups equal access to elementary schools. Just last week, another local district reversed its policies after months of negotiations with CLS. Fairfax County Public Schools, one of the largest and most respected districts in the country, adopted new policies guaranteeing religious groups the same rights to publicize meetings. Yet this is often more the exception than the rule for religious organizations. "Many school districts now give religious groups equal access to meeting space, but deny them an equal means of communicating with parents about opportunities for their children," said Nathan Adams, Chief Litigation Counsel for Christian Legal Society. Adams is co-counsel for Good News Club and currently represents more than a dozen similar clubs around the country.

Christian Legal Society is a nationwide association of Christian lawyers, law students, law professors, and judges. Through its public interest law firm, CLS works through the legal system to protect the religious liberty of all Americans.