Christian group sues California school district for discrimination against Good News Clubs 

A Christian group is suing a California school district for discrimination after its club’s presence on school grounds was prohibited. 

Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) of NorCal East Bay filed the lawsuit against the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) after the group’s Good News Clubs attempted to resume their programming following COVID-19 closures. 

Though Good News Clubs had previously been welcomed on OUSD campuses, CEF was rejected in 2023, with one principal stating, “As a public school, we are not in support of Evangelism on our campus.” 

Liberty Counsel, the Christian legal organization representing CEF in the lawsuit, initially sent letters warning the district not to treat the Good News Clubs differently from other after-school groups, in compliance with state and federal law. After the district ignored multiple letters throughout 2023, Liberty Counsel escalated its actions to a lawsuit. 

“The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that public schools cannot discriminate against Christian viewpoints regarding use of school facilities,” Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, explains in a written statement. “Therefore, the Oakland Unified School District must give the Good News Clubs equal access and treatment as the similarly situated non-religious groups on public school campuses.” 

Liberty Counsel has actually represented CEF in another 200 legal cases nationally, and has never lost a case centered on Good News Clubs. 

According to CEF, a Good News Club “meets kids right where they are” with weekly Bible lessons including songs, games, and scripture memory activities. There are currently over 84,000 Good News Clubs meeting worldwide, having served more than 4 million children to date.  

“Child Evangelism Fellowship gives children a biblically based education that includes moral and character development. Good News Clubs should be in every public elementary school and that includes these Oakland schools,” Staver concluded. 

CEF’s battle with the Oakland Unified School District is not the first example of Christians fighting back against alleged discrimination by California public schools this year. 

In September, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the San Jose Unified School District had violated the First Amendment rights of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes by revoking the group’s high school club status.  

The district claimed the club was dissolved for discriminating against LGBT-identifying students based on standards set for who could serve as club leaders. The federal appeals court ordered the San Jose district to reinstate the club.