Oneida County Student Establishes Bible Club in Public School
Written by on December 17, 2024
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After enduring pushback from school officials, an eighth-grade boy from Oneida County has finally obtained official recognition for a student-run Bible club at his public school.
According to The Washington Times, Elijah Nelson of Waterville, New York tried for two years to get permission to start a Bible club at Waterville Jr./Sr. High School. At first, school officials erroneously told Elijah that they could not allow him to start a Bible club because doing so would communicate the school’s endorsement of religion. Later, Elijah was allowed to hold meetings of the Bible club at lunch time, but the club was supervised by an adult and was not granted official student organization status.
Eventually, Elijah obtained legal representation from First Liberty Institute and from the law firm of Jones Day. In a letter to the Waterville School District, Elijah’s attorneys noted that the Constitution requires schools to treat religiously-oriented student groups in the same fashion in which they treat other student groups. The Waterville Board of Education formally recognized the Bible club on December 10, 2024.
Keisha Russell, an attorney with First Liberty Institute, commented: “‘Schools should always respect the religious beliefs of their students. This is a victory for students of all faiths and a reminder that all people have a constitutional right to express their religious beliefs, pray, and study the Bible even in a public school setting.’”
Jason J. McGuire, executive director of New York Families Foundation, added: “It is unfortunate that some public school officials—whether because they fear left-wing pushback, because they have misconceptions about the Constitution, or because they feel antipathy toward Christianity—oppose the formation of Christian student groups. However, Christian New Yorkers should be thankful for First Liberty Institute and other Christian legal advocacy groups that defend the rights of believers. Christians should also be thankful that Elijah Nelson was brave enough and persistent enough to keep pushing for a Bible club at his school. Public schools across New York need more students like Elijah. We pray that the Bible club at Waterville Jr./Sr. High School will be a blessing to the students there, and we pray that many more similar clubs will spring up across the state.”
The post Oneida County Student Establishes Bible Club in Public School appeared first on New York Families Foundation.
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