New Jersey —
The Hopewell Valley Regional School District in Pennington, N.J., will no longer allow outside religious leaders to lead the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, thanks to FFRF.
A district community member informed FFRF that outside adults were being permitted to enter Timberlane Middle School to lead the school’s chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
“Schools cannot constitutionally allow religious organizations to treat schools as a recruiting ground for their religious mission,” FFRF Staff Attorney Madeline Ziegler wrote.
FFRF prevailed, with FFRF receiving a letter from the Schenck Price law firm. Attorney Paul H. Green confirmed that the district conducted an investigation into the matter, and action was taken as a result of FFRF’s complaint.
“Dr. Treece is directing the Timberlane Middle School Principal to immediately stop the direct involvement of any outside adults in the meetings of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and to ensure that the group’s activities comply with the requirements of the Equal Access Act, the First Amendment and relevant provisions of New Jersey law,” Green wrote.
