Parents in a Charlotte-area county are upset after a religious group said it was told by the school district it would have to cut back on its weekly student bible club meetings.
In a post to Facebook on Tuesday, United for Christ, a Christian outreach ministry based in Denver, claimed that the Lincoln County Schools Board of Education informed them during a recent meeting that they would no longer be able to operate their bible club in schools on a weekly basis. Instead, the district permitted them to meet once per month, the ministry said.
Lincoln County Schools said it had received complaints about the club, but that no decisions have been made on when or if the club can meet on school property.
The club currently operates in East Lincoln, West Lincoln, North Lincoln and Lincolnton middle schools, according to Facebook.
According to the post, the group was told there were concerns that the club operating on school grounds “may be in violation of the law.”
But United For Christ claimed in the post that a board of education staff member “acknowledged that UFC was operating within the parameters of the law and that this decision was being made solely on the comfort of the district.”
The ministry later clarified in the comments on their post that the decision was made by Eric Eaker, the chief operations officer for the district, and that the board of education was not involved in the decision.
When The Charlotte Observer contacted Lincoln County Schools for further clarification, the district provided the same response it posted to Facebook Tuesday, explaining the meeting with United for Christ and what they called their desire to ensure student liberties are protected:
“This meeting was intended for LCS to obtain a better understanding of the United for Christ operations to ensure LCS is following all federal laws, including the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. LCS requested the meeting after receiving complaints that students were being pressured to participate in this optional program. No one at the meeting stated or implied that United for Christ was violating the law…
No decisions or ultimatums were made by LCS and we agreed to meet again in January after having time to consider the information provided by United for Christ.
So what’s the legality of holding religious meetings on public school property in North Carolina?
Are religious organizations for students allowed in NC schools?
In accordance with the First Amendment, North Carolina law allows students to organize religious clubs before, during and after school.
“Religious groups shall be given the same access to school facilities for assembling as is given to other noncurricular groups without discrimination based on the religious content of the students’ expression,” the law says.
“If student groups that meet for nonreligious activities are permitted to advertise or announce meetings of the groups, the school district shall not discriminate against groups that meet for prayer or other religious speech.”
However, students can be prohibited from participating in religion-based clubs if they harass or coerce other students to participate in the activity.
Response from parents
In the comments of United For Christ’s Facebook post, parents of children in the district commended the ministry for their efforts to bring the club to schools.
“Is the next school board meeting Feb 13?” one parent asked. “If so I think we need to show our support of this organization and the efforts they are putting towards bettering our youth!”
“Praying for this ministry,” another wrote. “My daughter enjoys this weekly meeting.”
“We are behind you,” another commented. “Thank you for all you’re doing.”
In their Facebook post, United for Christ said they are working to resolve the issue in order to continue its weekly bible club meetings.
“Please know that we are doing everything in our power to protect and preserve the the rights of every child in their family,” the ministry said. “We have been careful and gracious in our stance, but we refuse to be bullied into taking what makes a district ‘comfortable’ when nothing is being done illegally.”
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
