Leticia Cruz-Velazquez

EDU 210
9/29/2014
Prince V. Jacoby,303 F3d 1074 (9th Cir.2002)

QUESTION PRESENTED- Do the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution
forbid the viewpoint-discriminatory denial of benefits and privileges to a student Bible club in a
public high school?
In my opinion this court case presented an interesting issue on how to read the laws set
for public schools. Due to the Equal Access Act, religious clubs must be given access to school
space and supplies in the same manner as any other clubs.
Tausha Prince was an eleventh grade student at Spanaway Lake High School. Prince and
with the help of other students made a Christian Bible club called the World Changers. The
purpose of World Changers was to address issues of interest to students from a religious
perspective, including service to the student body and the community, diversity and acceptance
of all people, helping students to cope with daily pressures, as well as celebrating and sharing the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. The School District rebuffed Prince's attempt to form the club as an
officially recognized ASB a non-curriculum related club.
After the School District argued that it cannot allow World Changers access to the same
benefits as ASB groups without violating the Establishment Clause. Although a significant factor
in evaluating whether a governmental program violates the Establishment Clause is its neutrality
toward religion. And, the settled agreements were that the School District must allow the World
Changers club equal access to the School District's supplies and services for non-religious uses
but must also prevent the club from using the supplies and services for religious purposes,
including, religious worship or instruction. For example, the World Changers have access to
School District supplies to announce meetings or for other secular purposes (assuming other non-
curricular groups do), but using School District supplies to create a proselytizing poster cannot
be permitted. The School District could transport the World Changers in a School District
vehicle to a homeless shelter for the students to perform community service work, but not to a
church meeting or service. And, that the School District establish a policy limiting the use of its
tax-funded property and services to only secular purposes.

Sources
http://media.aclj.org/pdf/030530_bethel_opposition_brief.pdf
http://mrloomath.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/prince-v-jacoby-court-case-brief-loo.pdf
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-9th-circuit/1161168.html