CONTACT:     GREGORY S. BAYLOR, 703-642-1070, x 3502
STEVEN H. ADEN, 703-642-1070, x 3504

MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONTINUE DISCRIMINATING AGAINST RELIGIOUS GROUPS DESPITE HIGHER COURT RULING
District Court to Hear Motions from Opposing Parties on Monday

GREENBELT, MD – The Center for Law & Religious Freedom on Monday will ask a Maryland federal court to enforce a higher court ruling requiring the Montgomery County public schools to distribute religious fliers, despite efforts by the school system to continue discriminating against Child Evangelism Fellowship, a religious community group.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in June ruled that the school district is required to distribute CEF informational fliers on the same terms as they distribute fliers of other community groups.  In an apparent effort to circumvent the Fourth Circuit’s ruling, Montgomery County Public Schools passed a policy in July that Montgomery County officials claim prevents them from distributing CEF’s meeting announcements.  As a result, the school district continues to discriminate against CEF's "Good News Clubs" because of their religious content while distributing informational fliers for numerous other community groups.

On Monday, Judge Peter J. Messitte will hear motions from both sides to determine whether the school district’s alleged attempts to avoid the Fourth Circuit’s ruling still violate the First Amendment, which requires that public schools offer equal access to religious speech. 

Members of the public are welcome at the hearing, which is set for 11:30 am in Courtroom 2A at the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Greenbelt Division, 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, Maryland.  If Judge Messitte elects not to rule from the bench, a decision on the motions is expected by early next year.

“Child Evangelism Fellowship welcomes the opportunity to demonstrate that Montgomery County’s actions since the Court of Appeals’ decision have been designed to navigate around CEF’s First Amendment right to bring its message to parents on the same basis as other community groups,” said Chief Litigation Counsel Steven H. Aden.

The Christian Legal Society, founded in 1961, is the national membership organization of Christian attorneys, judges, law professors and law students, as well as supportive laypeople in all fifty states. They are organized in more than 1100 cities into attorney chapters, law student chapters, and fellowships throughout the United States.