MADISON, Wis. — Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund have reached a settlement with the Sun Prairie Area School District, ensuring Open Door Church of Sun Prairie that its Awana Club will no longer be required to pay discriminatory fees to meet on school property.
“Christian groups shouldn’t be singled out and penalized for their beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman. “We are pleased that the school district agreed to stop charging the club to meet on school property that has been freely available to non-religious groups.”
On Sept. 11, ADF attorneys filed suit against the Sun Prairie Area School District on behalf of the church for unconstitutionally requiring its Awana Club to pay fees to meet on one of its campuses. The district did not charge non-religious groups fees for access to school property for their functions (www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4674).
“The courts have repeatedly ruled that government schools cannot treat people with non-religious viewpoints more favorably than people with religious viewpoints,” said ADF Litigation Counsel Joshua Bolinger. “We commend the Sun Prairie Area School District for doing the right thing and hope that other school districts will follow their example.”
In light of the settlement, ADF attorneys are dismissing their lawsuit against the district. A copy of the voluntary dismissal of Open Door Church of Sun Prairie v. Sun Prairie Area School District filed Thursday with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin is available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/OpenDoorChurchDismissal.pdf.
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.
www.telladf.org