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Constitutional Law Keyed to Choper
Good News Club v. Milford Central School
Citation:
533 U.S. 98 (2001)Facts
Milford Central School established a community use policy allowing district residents to use school facilities after hours for instruction, learning, and activities pertaining to community welfare. The Good News Club, led by Stephen and Darleen Fournier, requested permission to hold weekly meetings in the school cafeteria after school hours. The Club’s meetings included taking attendance (with rewards for Bible verse recitation), singing songs, playing games involving Bible verses, Bible stories with applications to children’s lives, and prayer. Milford denied the request, determining these activities constituted “religious instruction” rather than merely discussing secular subjects from a religious perspective. The Club filed suit, claiming violation of its free speech rights. While the case was pending, the Club held meetings at the school for about a year under a preliminary injunction. The meetings were attended by children ages 6-12 with parental permission and were held in a resource/special education room, not an elementary classroom.
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