ALLIANCEDEFENDINGFREEDOMCOMMENT April3,2014FORIMMEDIATERELEASE CONTACTMEDIAANDPUBLICRELATIONS:(480)4440020or www.adfmedia.

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ThefollowingquotemaybeattributedtoAllianceDefendingFreedomSeniorCounselJordan Lorenceregardinga21decisionThursdaybytheU.S.CourtofAppealsforthe2ndCircuitthat barsweekendworshipservicesatNewYorkCityspublicschools: TheFirstAmendmentprohibitsNewYorkCityfromsinglingoutworshipservicesandexcluding themfromemptyschoolbuildings.Thereasonisbecausethebuildingsaregenerallyavailableto allindividualsandcommunitygroupsforanyactivitypertainingtothewelfareofthecommunity. Thereisnosubsidyofchurcheshere.Churchesandreligiousgroupspaythesameuniform ratesthateveryoneelsedoestousetheschools.Weareseriouslyconsideringanappealinthis case,eithertoallofthejudgesonthe2ndCircuitortotheU.S.SupremeCourt. SelectexcerptsfromCircuitJudgeJohnM.Walker,Jr.sdissentaccompanyingthecourts decisioninBronxHouseholdofFaithv.BoardofEducationoftheCityofNewYork: p.1:ThemajoritystatesthattheFreeExerciseClausehasneverbeenunderstoodtorequire governmenttofinanceasubjectsexerciseofreligion.Allowinganentitytousepublicschool spaceopentoallothersonequaltermsishardlythefinancingofthatentity.However,shutting thedoortoreligiousworshipservicesinsuchasettingwheneveryotheractivityispermitted strikesattheClausescore. p.5:ConcludingthatReg.I.Q.[theDepartmentofEducationspolicy]isneitherneutralnor generallyapplicableinitstreatmentofreligionisaneasycall:theDepartmentofEducation statesthatitspurposeincreatingthepolicywastoavoidboththefactandappearanceof governmentendorsementofreligionpresentedwhenplaintiffsandothercongregationsuse publicschoolstoengageinworshipservices.TheDepartmentthuseffectivelyconcedesthat itsobjectistoinfringeuponorrestrictpracticesbecauseoftheirreligiousmotivation. p.7:Reg.I.Q.isnotagovernmentsubsidy:theDepartmentofEducationchargesthesame ratetoallorganizationsusingitsfacilities. pp.89:[T]heBoardsinterestinenforcingReg.I.Q.toavoidanEstablishmentClauseviolation isnotcompellingbecauseitdoesnotviolatetheEstablishmentClausetoallowBronxHousehold toworshipinpublicschoolfacilitiesmadebroadlyavailabletothepubliconneutralterms.The SupremeCourthasrepeatedlyrejectedthepositionthattheEstablishmentClauseeven justifies,muchlessrequires,arefusaltoextendfreespeechrightstoreligiousspeakerswho participateinbroadreachinggovernmentprogramsneutralindesign.

p.10:OfthefiftylargestschooldistrictsintheUnitedStates,NewYorkCityaloneentirely excludesreligiousworshipfromitsfacilities.Itisstrikingthatnoneoftheseotherschool districtsappeartohavetheslightestconcernaboutviolatingtheEstablishmentClause,norhave anyoftheircommunityusepoliciesbeenfoundtoviolatetheClause. pp.1112:Reg.I.Q.permitsextensivereligiousconductinpublicschools,suchasaQuaker meetingserviceoraBuddhistmeditationservice,solongasitisnotfollowingaprescribedorder orledbyanordainedofficial.Indeed,RegI.Q.prohibitsuseofschoolfacilitiestoconduct worshipservices,butdoesnotexcludereligiousgroupsfromusingschoolsforprayer,singing hymns,religiousinstruction,expressionofreligiousdevotion,orthediscussionofissuesfroma religiouspointofview.Aregulationthatbansworshipservicesbutnotworshipinanyofits manifestationsisthusnotsufficientlytailoredtoaccomplishtheinterestthattheSchoolBoard hasadvanced,namely,avoidingtheriskofbeingperceivedasestablishingreligion. AllianceDefendingFreedomisanalliancebuilding,nonprofitlegalorganizationthatadvocates fortherightofpeopletofreelyliveouttheirfaith.

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