FFRF has snipped the ties between a Wisconsin elementary school and a religious financial firm.
It was brought to the attention of FFRF that Bristol Elementary School in Bristol, Wis., had partnered with Thrivent Financial, a Christian financial services firm that openly discriminates based on religion.
FFRF’s Elaine and Eric Stone Legal Fellow Ryan Jayne sent a letter to the Bristol School District asking that it investigate Establishment Clause concerns.
The school and financial firm had collaborated on a “Feed My Starving Children” event. Feed My Starving Children is a Christian nonprofit with a mission to nourish “God’s starving children hungry in body and spirit.” After the students packed food, they were invited to participate in a Christian prayer over the food. In exchange for the funding, Thrivent transported students to the event. Students all wore T-shirts with the religious firm’s logo that includes a Christian cross.
Bristol School District #1 Administrator Michael Juech informed FFRF in an email that the district had contacted Thrivent Financial to let the group know that no future partnerships would take place. Additionally, the school district has taken steps to remove social media posts from the Bristol School District pages highlighting the relationship with Thrivent Financial.
