CLS NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND GLOBAL CONVOCATION
We invite you to attend the CLS National Conference and Global Convocation on October 28 – 31 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia. The title of the conference is “Doing the Impossible with Jesus: Overcoming Evil with Good Throughout the World,” and the keynote speakers are Sam Ericsson, Lord David Alton, Joni Eareckson Tada, Os Guinness, Gary Haugen, and Ajith Fernando.
We also invite you to join the Center staff in the Center’s hospitality suite (room 937) during the conference on the evenings of Thursday October 28 and Friday October 29. Center attorneys will address informally the application of non-discrimination rules to public university student groups, the church-state issues confronted by faith-based social service organizations, and the Center’s work on behalf of Child Evangelism Fellowship.
CENTER SECURES ACCESS TO SCHOOL FACILITIES FOR TEXAS GOOD NEWS CLUB
The Bland Independent School District recently decided to reverse its policy and allow religious groups to have access to school district facilities, in response to pressure from CLS Center attorneys.
The Coordinator of Good News Clubs for Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) of Texas Annie Falconer had inquired in September with the principal of Bland Elementary about starting a Good News Club. Principal Janis Hodo informed Ms. Falconer that “religious groups can’t meet” in school facilities. Principal Hodo and other school district officials implied that their policy of excluding religious groups, such as CEF of Texas, was necessary to ensure the “separation of church and state.”
CLS Center attorney Timothy J. Tracey informed district officials that its policy was not necessary to avoid a violation of the Establishment Clause and runs contrary to the Supreme Court’s decision in Good News Club v. Milford. Mr. Tracey further informed the district that its policy of religious exclusion against CEF violated its first amendment right of free speech.
CASEY MATTOX BEGINS SERVICE AS CHRISTIAN LEGAL SOCIETY LITIGATION COUNSEL
On September 27, 2004, attorney M. Casey Mattox began serving as Litigation Counsel for the CLS Center.
Mr. Mattox graduated from the University of Virginia in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts in government and history. He earned his Juris Doctorate in 2001 from the Boston College Law School. After graduating from Boston College, Casey clerked for the Honorable Champ Lyons of the Alabama Supreme Court. He was most recently a Staff Attorney-Litigation Counsel at The Rutherford Institute.
Mr. Mattox will participate in the Center's efforts to defend and advance religious freedom through litigation. The Center currently focuses on protecting the religious liberty of college students, pro-life health care providers, faith-based social service providers, and Christian schools.
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