Iowa —
FFRF taught the Fort Dodge Community School District in Iowa that student religious clubs must be student led, and school employees cannot promote or participate in these clubs.
A community member reported that adult staff members at Fort Dodge Middle School (FDMS) were overtly and inappropriately involved in organizing, leading, advertising and encouraging participation in the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) club. FFRF learned that during the workday, staff members at FDMS were promoting the FCA club to students and encouraging them to join. FCA is an explicitly religious organization based in evangelical Christianity and the Iowa FCA has direct statements of its Christian faith on its website homepage. Additionally, a multitude of Facebook posts were discovered that show the district having a long pattern and practice of routinely permitting staff and outside adults to organize, lead, promote and sponsor the middle school’s FCA club in violation of federal law and the school board’s own policy.
“Even if the club is properly renting school space for its meetings, the school cannot advertise an outside-run religious club, grant outside adults special access to students, recruit students to join the club, or promote the club’s religious message,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.
FFRF’s letter led to the district reaching out to legal counsel for advice as to how to resolve the matter. Superintendent Joshua Porter wrote in an email, “You can assure [the community member] that we have worked with our legal counsel on this matter and will follow their recommendations.”
