A New York State high school is the latest battleground in the fight for religious liberty as school officials face allegations of extreme religious censorship of a student in violation of federal law and the US Constitution.
Worthy Christian News reports the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has issued a legal demand to the Carmel Central School District on behalf of ninth-grade student Jenna after the teen’s Christian beliefs were repeatedly targeted by administrators.
Jenna wanted to set up a student Bible club at Carmel High School, but her efforts were met with systematic obstruction, including the removal of posters, bans on Bible verses, and even censorship of the group’s name, according to the ACLJ.
Her club, originally called the Good News Club, was approved only after months of persistence.
But the ACLJ described the approval as “effectively meaningless.”
“VIEWPOINT DISCRIMINATION IN ITS PUREST FORM”
It claimed school officials removed Jenna’s posters from hallways, citing “too many Bible verses” and prohibiting the use of a cross or any Scripture references.
They also barred the use of the club’s name, despite it being the subject of a landmark 2001 US Supreme Court case — Good News Club v. Milford Central School — that upheld American students’ rights to form such groups.
“This is viewpoint discrimination in its purest form – and it’s unlawful,” asserted the ACLJ.
“Her posters were censored because they were Christian.”
SHOCKING TREATMENT OF 9TH GRADE STUDENT
Despite complying with every restriction, Jenna faced further retaliation.
The ACLJ explained that when her club planned to show a faith-based video series aimed at encouraging students struggling with mental and spiritual challenges, school administrators again tore down her revised posters and banned the entire video series, citing unspecified “complaints.”
Even more disturbing, according to the ACLJ, the school “took over” the student club, dictating what religious materials could be used and monitoring promotional content for being “too religious.”
These actions, the legal team argues, violate both the First Amendment right to free speech and the federal Equal Access Act which mandates that student religious groups be treated equally to secular ones.
“STUDENTS DO NOT FORFEIT THEIR RIGHTS AT THE SCHOOL GATE”
“Students do not forfeit their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate,” the ACLJ emphasised,.
It referenced a landmark US Supreme Court ruling, saying: “School officials cannot act as censors of religious content simply because of disagreement or discomfort.”
The ACLJ’s demand letter calls on Carmel Central School District to immediately halt its censorship and issue written assurances that Jenna’s club will be treated equally and allowed to function without interference.
If that doesn’t happen, the ACLJ warned legal action could follow.
“THE FREEDOM TO LIVE OUT YOUR FAITH IS NOT LIMITED TO ADULTS”
The ACLJ recently secured a victory in Texas on behalf of a fifth-grade student with special needs who was told she couldn’t hand out slips of paper with Bible verses.
“We fought and won in Texas, and we plan to fight and win in New York,” the group said.
At the heart of the case is a question of basic rights: Whether public schools can silence Christian students simply because their message is rooted in faith.
For Jenna and her defenders, the answer is clear.
“The freedom to live out your faith is not limited to adults or to Sunday mornings,” said the ACLJ.
“It belongs to our children – at school, at home, and everywhere in between.”
