The only elementary school in a rural Florida county has decided to disband its Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) club after receiving complaints from an atheist group. The Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) accused Hamilton County Elementary School in Jasper of violating the First Amendment by promoting religious indoctrination among students. The FFRF argued that while the Equal Access Act protects students’ right to form religious clubs in secondary schools, it does not apply to elementary schools.
The FFRF legal fellow Samantha F. Lawrence wrote a letter to the Hamilton County School District demanding the disbandment of the FCA club at the elementary school. The district’s legal team, led by attorney Meagan L. Logan, conceded to the FFRF’s demands and disbanded the club.
The FFRF celebrated the disbandment of the club, stating that it was pleased to see students’ freedom of conscience being respected. However, the First Liberty Institute criticized the school district for prohibiting a religious club while allowing secular clubs, stating that it sends a message to students that their faith is unwelcome. The Institute’s senior counsel, Justin Butterfield, emphasized that students’ religious viewpoints are protected by the First Amendment, and pressure from groups like the FFRF to ban religious clubs is unlawful.
The FFRF has continued to target schools and other institutions for their inclusion of faith, recently calling out another Florida school district for its support of the National Day of Prayer.
