Judge rules churches can rent public school space (New York)

Judge rules churches can rent public school space
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November 18, 2005, 3:27 AM EST

NEW YORK (AP) _ The city must let religious groups rent spaces in public schools for meetings, a federal judge has ruled.

The decision, from Judge Loretta Preska of the Federal District Court in Manhattan, makes permanent a preliminary order issued in mid-2002.

It is in response to a years-long push by the Bronx Household of Faith, an evangelical Christian church that has wanted to hold Sunday meetings in a public school.

Lisa Grumet of the city's law department said the city will appeal the case.

"We are concerned about having any schools in this diverse city become identified with any particular religious belief or practice," she said in a statement reported by The New York Times.

The new ruling, handed down late Wednesday, is in line with a 2001 Supreme Court decision that allows religious groups to meet on school premises.

More:
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--churchschoolspace1118nov18,0,1071796,print.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork



Commentary from Alliance Defense Fund below:

FROM: Alan Sears, President

<snip>

Yesterday, that decade of perseverance netted a permanent injunction against the Board of Education of the City of New York City, barring them from refusing to rent space at a public school to the church for Sunday morning worship services.

This KEY victory — after years of ups and downs, disappointments, and moments of joy -- demonstrates once again the importance of perseverance and never giving up, even when things look lost. Many thought this case was over when the U.S. Supreme Court denied review back in 1998. Then, in 2001, the Lord gave us the Good News Club v. Milford Central Schools victory, in which Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, in the majority opinion, noted that in light of the Good News decision, the Bronx Household of Faith case may have been wrongly decided. Like Lazarus, the Bronx Household of Faith case was given new life resulting in a preliminary win that we celebrated in 2002!

In her decision, Federal Judge Loretta Preska rejected the school board’s claim that the church’s use of a public school facility for Sunday worship services violated the Establishment Clause. She noted that the fact that the board’s discriminatory policy against the church “does not amount to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination is astonishing in light of the Supreme Court’s clear holding in Good News Club.”

As big as many prior wins have been, to many this victory is even more important, as it opens up 1,200 public school buildings for churches and Christian groups. Jordan says: “This is the biggest victory in two decades for churches that simply want the same access to public facilities that other organizations have.”

Link to hate-site deliberately left out.

FYI: Alliance Defense Fund is the group that thinks suing colleges to keep them from providing health insurance to same-sex couples is "protecting the family."

My church first met in the local elementary school, fifty years ago.

Just don't say no when Muslims, Pagans, Satanists or any other religious group wants to rent space in the schools.

As long as we keep destroying their funding.

I can see where some could become rather sneaky while in this neutral setting. What would stop them from sneaking a book or two inbetween Tom Sawyer and War and Peace? A few folders here,a few tracks there. It could look so accidnetal and yet...a good place to start propaganda. If they happened to hang up a few icons and "forget" to take them down;posters as well. Also what happens when school has something going on at the same time(not all relgious orgs have Sunday only services.

Places like that are kept locked. What they are asking for are the BIG meeting rooms. Like gyms, etc.

If school space can also be rented by groups of all faiths, why not?

I understand a Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster parish in the Bronx has been looking for a place to eat

But it had better not be limited to the Christians alone, and not during school hours. That's where it crosses the line.

I then called and asked whether they would object to my renting the school for devil worship every week. The person I talked to said she didn't know.

The school is no longer being used for church meetings.

Probably a coincidence, but if there were enough of us doing this we could force the issue wherever it happens.

Churches are renting space where they can get it around the Orlando, FL area. Community centers, hotels, etc. Schools are just one of the areas. One location might be the meeting place for several different churches. Just at different times of the day.

A school is just a building that is publicly owned. And should be used by the public instead of just setting there. For one thing, they should have before and after school care. But that is another issue all together.

The problem is the same as it always has been. Christians are use to not having to share. It's always been their way or the highway. They have refused (as a whole) to allow other faiths to have the same rights as they do. When they refuse, that "right" is taken away from them too. They consider this harrassment and fail to realize that they are just being treated EQUAL with everyone else.

Another words, the problem is when non-christian faiths attempt to use the buildings, etc. Those that have church buildings and don't need to use the school for a meeting will be more then willing to prevent EVERYONE from using the building, just to keep non-christians meeting at the building.

I do mean "willing". They don't start the action. Usualy the non-christian who is attempting to use building or what ever, points out the unfairness and prepares to sue because of it. Instead of granting them the same rights.. it is decided to disallow everone because of "legeal" reasons.

Another words.. it's protrayed that the non-christians are saying the christians can't use it. When really what the non-christians are saying that it should be used fairly or not at all.

You just pointed out to the board that your commmunity has certain worshipers that if allowed to meet at the school, would cause a giant mess. It really is much easier to just stop the practice of allowing the buildings to be used for church meetings.. then deal with the PR nightmare of non-mainstream faiths meeting at the school.

It's not just the negative PR caused by the right wing. It will cause an extra work load on all involved in the school system because of those right wingers harrasing them. If I was one of them... I wouldn't feel it was PERSONALY worth it.

Because any time the average non-liberal Christian is talking about "religious rights" you can guarantee they are only talking about their own rights--not those of other religions.

Auditoriums in our schools get used for a whole variety of community functions, and I think no one ever took notice until the national controversy over the Boy Scouts happened.

When someone pointed out the BSA's new discriminatory practices, it turned out that the Boy Scouts had been using school facilities for free while other groups had to pay. Rectifying that caused quite a bit of belly-aching and claims that we were "discriminating against the Boy Scouts," but I think it was the fair thing to do.

The policy in our district now is: everyone pays a fee, everyone has to line up and get on the calendar.

I see no problem with treating churches, synagogues, sanghas, or covens needing a meeting place in the same manner, as long as all are allowed equal access.

Hekate