Nevada
FFRF recently worked with the Washoe County School District in Nevada to ensure that the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is not entangled with a high school football team.
A concerned parent reported that Reno High School has intertwined the FCA club with the school’s football program. For instance, FFRF learned that the head football coach and a local youth pastor both spoke at a recent Reno High School FCA club meeting. Per the school football program’s official website, FCA is listed as a part of what makes the program “Bigger than football,” along with the team’s core values and culture.
“To comply with the First Amendment and the Equal Access Act, the district must ensure that Reno High School ceases entangling FCA with the official football program, and all school employees, including coaching staff, must refrain from participating in FCA meetings in a nonsupervisory capacity,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.
Sara Montalvo, the deputy chief general counsel for Washoe County School District, contacted FFRF after concerns had been raised. “The link to FCA has been removed from the Reno High School website (which was an old website),” Montalvo emailed. “Additionally, all relevant staff have been counseled and guidance has been issued to refrain from any unlawful entanglement between Reno High School football and FCA.”
