Illinois Schools Lift Ban on Christian Student Clubs

Faith Facts

• Good News Clubs provide Bible-based instruction to elementary students after school hours.
• The settlement confirms that school districts cannot single out religious groups for unequal treatment.
• Christian parents and churches have a constitutional right to use public facilities on the same terms as other organizations.

An Illinois school district has settled a lawsuit by agreeing to remove restrictions on Good News Clubs and to pay more than $105,000 in legal fees and damages.

The decision comes after years of conflict between the district and Christian families who wanted their children to participate in the voluntary after-school program.

“We are pleased that the district has recognized the rights of these families and ended its discriminatory practices,” a spokesman for the legal team representing the clubs stated.

The settlement restores equal access to school facilities for the religious clubs and sends a clear message to other districts that religious viewpoints cannot be excluded from public spaces.

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