Public schools do not have to help evangelists, AU tells appeals court. (People & Events).Public schools have no legal obligation to help an evangelical Christian group recruit children for religious instruction programs, Americans United has advised a federal appeals court. Americans United and allied groups filed a joint friend-of-the-court brief March 25 arguing that a New Jersey public school does not have to allow the Child Evangelism Fellowship Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is an international evangelical nonprofit organization founded by Jesse Overholtzer in 1937, headquartered in Warrenton, Missouri. The organization lists as its purpose to teach the Gospel to boys and girls and to get them involved in local (CEF CEF CAN (Controller Area Network) Extended Frame CEF Caixa Economica Federal (Brazil) CEF Cisco Express Forwarding CEF Common European Framework CEF Continuing Education Fund CEF Closed End Fund ) to post signs in schools, participate in a "back-to-school night" and require teachers to distribute its promotional fliers in class. The brief argues that if these activities are allowed, young children could easily assume that CEF is a school project that is backed by teachers and administrators. "When they see their teachers give them CEF fliers, when they see the fliers posted on the walls of their school hallways, and when they see CEF representatives at school-sponsored 'Back-to-School Nights,' elementary school children will reasonably conclude that their school endorses CEF's religious message," asserts the brief. "In addition, the use of teachers and school facilities to invite young children to attend Club meetings will tend to place coercive pressure on the children to submit to evangelical indoctrination in·doc·tri·nate tr.v. in·doc·tri·nat·ed, in·doc·tri·nat·ing, in·doc·tri·nates 1. To instruct in a body of doctrine or principles. 2. ." The U.S. Supreme Court in 2001 upheld the right of CEF and other religious groups to use public schools for meetings at the end of the school day on the same basis as other community organizations. But Americans United argues that schools are not constitutionally required to promote these organizations to students. "CEF is asking public schools to help it find recruits for its fundamentalist indoctrination program," said AU Executive Director Barry W. Lynn Reverend Barry W. Lynn (born 1948 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) has been the Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State since 1992.[1] . "Public schools have no obligation to help this or any other religious group win new converts." The case, Child Evangelism Fellowship v. Stafford Township School District The Stafford Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in Pre-Kindergarten through Sixth grade from Stafford Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. , is pending before the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The AU brief, written by AU Litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. Counsel Alex Luchenitser, was also signed by the Anti-Defamation League, People For the American Way Foundation People For the American Way Foundation is the charitable arm of People For the American Way (PFAW), a progressive advocacy organization in the United States. Unlike its parent organization, the Foundation restricts itself to activities that are permitted to organizations registered , the New Jersey Education Association and the Stafford Township Education Association. |
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