WASHINGTON — Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday asking the justices to review a case involving Christian students who continue to be denied their constitutional rights. Since September of 2001, officials at Kentridge High School in Seattle have refused to grant official recognition to the Truth Bible Club because they require their members to hold certain religious beliefs.
“Christian student groups shouldn’t be penalized for their beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel Nate Kellum. “Excluding a club simply because its members are religious is a clear violation of their First Amendment rights and the Equal Access Act. For close to a decade, school officials have stonewalled this group, which only wants to have the same benefits and privileges as any other student-led club. We hope that the U.S. Supreme Court will bring an end to this discrimination once and for all.”
Because members of the Truth Bible Club wish to restrict the club’s voting membership to Christians, Kentridge High School officials have repeatedly rejected the group’s application, citing the school’s “nondiscrimination policy” as the reason. Officials also claimed that the name of the club is “offensive.” However, the school has recognized other non-curriculum-related clubs that also hold to particular beliefs.
ADF attorneys filed suit on behalf of two Kentridge students in 2003. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled against them, so ADF attorneys have appealed.
Attorney Keith Kemper of the Seattle law firm Ellis, Li and McKinstry is serving as local counsel in the case. Robert Tyler, general counsel for Advocates for Faith and Freedom in Murrietta, Calif., is also providing assistance in the case.
• Petition for writ of certiorari filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in Truth v. Kent Public School District
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.
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