Advocates Takes "Truth" to the U.S. Supreme Court

Advocates for Faith and Freedom filed a petition with the United States Supreme Court asking the Justices to protect our clients' right to form a Bible club at Kentridge High School in Kent, Washington.  The Bible club is named "Truth."

In the fall of 2001, two female students from Kent, Washington sought to form a Bible club on their high school campus.  The Truth Bible Club filed its application with the school in order to gain access to school facilities and to exist like any other club.  However, the school denied the club's application to exist as a student club because they sought to limit their membership to Christian students.

The Truth Bible Club crafted its membership criteria to reflect its core beliefs.  Truth sought to protect the group's purpose, identity, and expression, like many of the student clubs that already existed on campus.  While the club desired that all students attend, it believed that to be a member, a student should be a Christian. 

Previously, the school approved the Gay-Straight Alliance, whose membership criteria required that its members "must be willing to work toward the goals of the club," which include "working to decrease homophobia" and fighting "heterosexism."  Another club, the Earth Corps Club, required its members to have an "interest and dedication toward environmental issues."

Truth's application was denied because its membership criteria required students to possess a true desire to study the Bible and grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ. While the school district generally allows student clubs to maintain group identity and expression by limiting their membership to those who adhere to the group's ideology, the school district's "nondiscrimination" policy has denied Truth this same privilege.

After continuous refusal by the school district to approve the Bible club, we filed a law suit in the District Court.  Unfortunately, the Court ruled against the club, arguing that the club had no right to discriminate in its membership. We subsequently appealed to the Ninth Circuit, but the Ninth Circuit also ruled against Truth Bible Club.

The case has now been appealed to the United States Supreme Court in hope that the Justices will overturn the lower courts' opinions and uphold our clients' right to form a Bible club that is fully recognized by their school on the same terms as every other club.

Our co-counsel in this case is the Alliance Defense Fund and Keith Kemper of the Seattle law firm Ellis, Li & McKinstry.

Please pray that the U.S. Supreme Court accepts our case and that this hostility toward Christian students will be reversed!  

This information is provided by Advocates for Faith and Freedom, a non-profit religious law firm dedicated to protecting religious liberty in the courts!  To help us in our ongoing battle for religious freedom, click here to donate to Advocates.