NYC Kicks Religious Groups Out of Schools

Opposing Views: Alliance Defense Fund attorney Jordan Lorence, who represented the Bronx Household of Faith in the suit, says the policy won’t force schools in other cities to throw churches out on the street, but if there are members on other school boards who “want to get rid of the churches, this would give them an excuse to do so.”"New York City allows anything pertaining to the welfare of the community–that ranges from labor union meetings to Alcoholics Anonymous groups, to filming episodes of ‘Law & Order’–to meet in schools.” Excluding religious groups is a violation of the Equal Access Act. It also jeopardizes a longstanding cooperation between cities and faith-based groups. If you trace the roots of some of America’s largest churches, like California’s Saddleback, most of them started in rented schoolrooms. Now, it seems a struggling system like New York City’s would rather turn away income than allow for the free exercise of religion.