After FFRF intervened, the Texas-based Tomball ISD will no longer allow staff members to run overtly religious extracurricular clubs. A concerned district parent reported that Oakcrest Intermediate School was allowing a staff member to organize, lead and run a religious club for students called āCats for Christ.ā The staff member additionally organized the religious event āSee You At the Poleā at the school, as well, an event that brings students to their schoolās flagpole in prayer. āWe ask that the district ensure that āCats for Christā is disbanded,ā FFRF Anne Nicol Gaylor Legal Fellow Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district. āGoing forward, all religious clubs and events must be genuinely student-initiated, and organized, led and run by students.ā Upon receiving FFRFās letter, General Counsel Holly Sherman reached out, informing FFRF that staff members in the future would respect the First Amendment by taking a monitoring role rather than an active one. āTISD will take steps to ensure that all non-curricular student organizations, regardless of any religious affiliation, are supervised by a staff member who serves in a monitoring role in accordance with Board Policy FNAB (Local) and applicable law.ā
March 12, 2024