An elementary school in rural Hamilton County, Florida has dissolved its Christian club after pushback from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), which accused the school of violating the First Amendment because public school employees had to be organizing or leading the club.
Now, a religious group is pushing back against their pushback, claiming that it’s unfair that religious clubs are banned but secular clubs are allowed.
Christian Club
The story starts with a January Facebook post by the North Central Florida Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) celebrating a Christian gathering in the elementary school.
“New Huddle Alert 🚨 Hamilton Elementary FCA.” the post said. The North Central Florida FCA serves 13 counties in Florida in promoting Christian sports ministry for athletes.
Freedom From Religion Foundation Letter
News of this Christian club spread to the FFRF, who took it upon themselves to send the school district a letter on March 27 decrying the formation of the club.
“It is our understanding that Hamilton County Elementary School has permitted the North Central Florida Fellowship of Christian Athletes to begin a new FCA club at Hamilton Elementary. A January 27, 2024 post from the official North Central Florida FCA Facebook account announced the “New Huddle” at Hamilton Elementary…We write to request that the District immediately investigate this situation and ensure that the FCA club at Hamilton Elementary is disbanded,” the letter said.
Club Dispersed
The school district responded through an attorney letter to the FFRF on April 22, concluding an investigation and announcing they were disbanding the club.
“The District has investigated the allegations of your letter and concluded that there was a small group of fifth grade students participating in such a club at the school…in an effort to avoid any perception that such a gathering on the campus of Hamilton Elementary is being organized, promoted or endorsed by the District or its employees, the club has been dispersed,” said the letter.
Waiting A Year
Although the school district promised to disband the club, they also said that the students involved would be eligible to participate in FCA activities very soon.
“These same students will be eligible to participate in FCA on the campus of Hamilton County High School in a few short months as six graders,” said the school district letter.
Organizing the Club
The FFRF asserts that the formation of the club is a First Amendment issue because it necessarily must involve public employees as the kids are so young.
“Elementary students are too young to truly run a club entirely on their own initiative with no input from school staff or outside adults.” wrote Samantha Lawrence in the FFRF letter. “The Establishment Clause prohibits school employees from organizing or leading a religious club for students and therefore prohibits religious clubs in elementary schools.”
High School Versus Elementary School
This contention by the FFRF can explain why religious clubs are allowed for kids in older grades since they would be more capable of organizing the clubs themselves without outside aid.
The FFRF argues that by sponsoring a Christian club, the school is “needlessly alienat[ing] and exclud[ing] students and families who are not Christian, including those who are nonreligious.”
Who is the Freedom From Religion Foundation?
Founded in 1976, this non-profit organization purports to represent the interests of “atheists, agnostics, and nontheists” by promoting the separation of church and state.
It is a voice for challenging faith-based federal and state programs that they feel infringe on the fairness and rights for the non-religious.
FFRF Celebrates
The Freedom From Religion Foundation celebrated the club shutting down in a press release a few days after the school responded.
“The Freedom From Religion Foundation has ensured that the Fellowship of Christian Athletes will not be able to organize and run a religious club for students at an elementary school in Hamilton County School District in Florida…Thankfully, the district was willing to listen to reason and obey the law,” the statement said.
Educate Not Intoctrinate
Although they got what they wanted, the FFRF still chastised the district for letting it go on in the first place.
“The Hamilton County School District ought to know better than allowing a religious group free access to students during the day,” said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “School districts exist to educate, not indoctrinate into religion.”
Double Standards
While the school did act to close the club, there were some who were unhappy about it, saying this move creates a double standard.
“Banning students from having a religious club at a school while permitting other, secular clubs is a travesty that teaches children their faith is unwelcome and must be hidden,” said Justin Butterfield, senior counsel for the conservative religious organization First Liberty Institute.
Faith Under Pressure
Butterfield accused the FFRF of trying to use pressure to ban religious clubs in schools which would be a violation of the law and Supreme Court rulings.
“The Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized that students’ religious viewpoints are protected by the First Amendment and that students do not give up their free speech rights while at school—including elementary schools,” Butterfield said. “When groups like FFRF pressure schools to ban religious student clubs like FCA while permitting secular clubs, those groups are pressuring schools to break the law.”
