Fairfax County's school board is facing legal action from a Christian group that said denying a student's church-related service hours for National Honor Society requirements discriminates against religious students.
The Alliance Defense Fund, based in Arizona, is representing the student. A spokesman told the Washington Post excluding activities widely considered "community service" in non-religious contexts is "an unconstitutional policy that needs to be remedied."
The student, an unnamed senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, submitted 46 church-related volunteer hours as part of a requirement for membership in the National Honor Society, which requires 12 hours per school year.
The hours were spent as a Sunday school leader, singing songs, doing crafts and teaching lessons to children, according to the suit.
Fairfax County students in grades 6, 8 and 12 can submit hours as part of a service learning initiative to earn recognition at graduation ceremonies. Various organizations within the school system can also have service hour requirements of their own.
The National Honor Society defers to its local chapters to make rules about what kind of community service counts toward its requirements, the Post reported.
The group's adviser told the student the hours did not count because they were done at a religious meeting, according to the suit.
The school system said in a statement to the Post that it was not aware of the situation until it was served with the suit. After it was filed, they credited the student with the hours and reinstated the student's membership, the Post reported.
The alliance plans to continue with the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, in hopes of forcing a policy change.
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Tell us: Should religious activities count toward service hours? Let us know in the comments below.
I don't know the precise relationship between the school district, the national honor society, and who administers the program locally, so in this case it might be counting those hours is appropriate. If it is, I hope when it comes time to evaluate the service put in by a Muslim student at a Mosque, those complaining about religious discrimination in this case don't go suddenly silent...
Also, I am glad you view this as an issue that does not depend on denominational affiliation. But, as the public debate has shown, many Christians are all for religious freedom as long as it applies to Christians only. You only need to look at the statements of some of the Republican candiates to see examples of that.
That said, since the student involved has no damages, this is not a matter for the Federal Court. The family should take it up with the School Board if they want a county-wide clarification of this matter.
As Anoneemous wrote: "The best way to stop discrimination in awarding Fairfax County National Honor Society credit for community service is to stop discrimination for community service on the basis that it is church-related." It's really hard to forget great true statements. Recommend all readers try reading the Martin Luther King speech at the Lincoln Memorial and the case in which Chief Justice Roberts made the famous quote above. Both men speak the truth. Martin Luther King is surely rolling over in his grave when he hears what has happened to his "judged by their character" comment. Thank goodness Chief Justice is alive to give correct meaning to the corruption in the meaning of non-discrimination of any kind, of color, race, religion, sex, etc. This local school board fiasco is but one classic liberal implementation of unconstitutional discrimination.