Headlines like “Before school Bible class halted amid controversy” and “Parents Angry Altruria Elementary Bible Club Was Shut Down After Complaint By Atheist Group” are just two in a series of similar headlines to blame atheists for closing the Bible Club. Altruria Elementary School in Memphis, Tennessee, has closed their pre-school Bible Club because they were warned by Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) that their activity is unconstitutional.
What was the problem with those classes? Constitutional violations. First, the Bible Club was led by two teachers and staffers at the school who should not coerce students to discuss the Bible, yet that’s what was happening here. Second, the permission slips did not ask parents if they wanted their kids to participate — but when.
A warning letter sent by FFRF reads: “It is our understanding that Altruria Elementary School is providing religious instructions to its first and second grade students under the guise of a before school bible club.” They named two teachers who are sponsors of the club, Mrs. Hargrove and Mrs. Goff, whose purpose is to teach children “how the Bible teaches about the good character.” They added that the Establishment Clause prohibits religious clubs in elementary schools because elementary students are too young to truly run a club entirely on their own initiative with no input from school staff or outside adults.
Bartlett City Schools released the following statement about the Bible Club and agreed with FFRF’s remarks: “Per our understanding, religious clubs at elementary schools must be sponsored by an outside group. To our knowledge, the K-2 Bible Club at Altruria was not. While this club has been postponed, we are working with the school to ensure the proper steps are taken to allow this club in the 2017-2018 school year.”
In response to FFRF’s initiative, the Brown family contacted an attorney with the Center for Religious Expression. They are outraged that the club was shut down because their two children were looking forward to participating in the bible club next year. “The message they (FFRF) are sending these kids is there is something terribly wrong with you wanting to meet and discuss the bible,” says Nate Kellum, an attorney for the Center for Religious Expression.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation release a statement that says: “FFRF is pleased to learn that Bartlett City Schools has taken appropriate action to disband an unconstitutional religious club, which was really just religious instruction by public school officials. This development is a victory not only for reason and the law but for the inviolable right of a captive audience of first and second-grade students to be free from indoctrination in a public school setting.”
Photo Credits: Liberal America
