The Freedom From Religion Foundation has made certain that Geneseo Community Unit School District #228 employees do not help put together a Christian club’s activities in district schools.
The state/church watchdog was informed that staff members regularly organized events for Geneseo Middle School’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes club. For instance, on Dec. 4 last year, a teacher sent out an email to parents organizing an end-of-the-year event for the club that took place on Dec. 10. The email read:
Wow, it’s hard to believe that we are already approaching our winter break soon and our FCA Holiday Gathering next week on December 10th. We have had a blast getting to know your students this fall. They are so much fun and we see the light of Christ in them each time we meet. As our final meeting for the 2024 year, we would like to enjoy some treats together and play a few holiday games. If you are able to help provide treats, please sign up on the link below. We appreciate all you do for your students and hope you all enjoy the holiday season. We have encouraged your students to seek out the true meaning of Christmas and wish you all a blessed New Year!
School district employees are forbidden from leading or participating in student religious groups outside of a supervisory role, FFRF emphasized in a letter to the school district.
“It is well settled that public schools — including their employees — may not show favoritism toward or coerce belief or participation in religion,” Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow Hirsh M. Joshi wrote to Geneseo Community Unit School District #228 Superintendent Adam Brumbaugh. “Here, an employee of the school is organizing and leading a religious event for a student club.”
In addition to concerns regarding the federal Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, staff or outside adults leading a student religious club also violates Illinois’ constitutional provisions requiring the separation of church and state, FFRF pointed out.
To avoid further concerns under the federal or state constitutions, FFRF asked that the district counsel employees cease leading and organizing Fellowship of Christian Athletes activities.
FFRF’s request produced the desired result.
“I have spoken with said district employee and counseled them to refrain from organizing events for clubs that are formed to be student-led and student-orchestrated,” the district superintendent recently responded via email. “I don’t anticipate any further concerns being brought forward from your organization.”
FFRF thanks the school district for its responsiveness.
“Favoritism toward clubs for one religion ends up excluding and marginalizing students who don’t adhere to that particular form of belief,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “We’re glad that the school district now realizes the problems created due to such partiality.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 40,000 members and several chapters across the country, including more than 1,300 members and a chapter in Illinois. Our purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
