This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
An agenda to deprive after-school Bible clubs of the same access to schools that other clubs were granted routinely now is costing the taxpayers in the state of Hawaii.
A report from Liberty Counsel, which fought the state on behalf of Child Evangelism Fellowship and its Good News Clubs, revealed that the state appropriations bill, just signed by Gov. Josh Green, provides $100,000 to CEF following a court ruling.
It was last December that a federal judge granted Liberty Counsel a permanent injunction on behalf of CEF against the state that provided equal access to school facilities.
That access had been "unlawfully denied" by the state Department of Education and six different elementary schools, the report said.
The injunction granted CEF Hawaii "prevailing party" status in the dispute, a move that now protects the Good News Clubs from the previous viewpoint discrimination, but also calls for the state to cover litigation costs.
The result now is that the state will give CEF's clubs access to schools equal to other similarly situated organizations across the state.
Liberty Counsel reported, "During the lawsuit, Hawaii's Department of Education conceded that one school denied CEF Hawaii use of its facilities based on religion, while another school's denial was due to a 'misapplication' of school policies. CEF Hawaii contended that after it appealed the 'blatant religious discrimination' of these denials to the Hawaii State Department of Education, it never received any response, nor did school officials take any corrective actions."
Other organizations that had been granted access included the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girls on the Run, A+ After School Programs, and YMCA.
The state had allowed CEF's Good News Clubs in more than a dozen schools on Oahu and other islands before COVID-19.
"Then, after restricting after-school programs due to COVID-19, schools fully restored after-school programs in 2022. However, the Hawaii State Department of Education, through four of its superintendents and other officials, had denied every request submitted by CEF to restart its programs and either expressly or effectively denied every appeal, while allowing access for other similar groups to meet after school on campus," Liberty Counsel explained.
There are more than 3,000 Good News Clubs in elementary schools across the nation.
"This is a reasonable judgment and a great victory for Child Evangelism Fellowship, parents, and the students in Hawaii public schools. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that public schools cannot discriminate against Christian viewpoints regarding use of school facilities. Child Evangelism Fellowship gives children a safe space that offers moral and character development from a Christian viewpoint. Good News Clubs should be in every public elementary school," said Liberty Counsel chief Mat Staver.
His organization has represented Good News Clubs in multiple similar fights nationally over the years, and never has lost a case.
