Thursday, July 30, 2015

Consent Decree Bars Religious Activities By Colorado School District

Denver 7 News reports that a consent decree (full text) was filed this week in Basevitz v. Fremont RE-2 School District, (D CO, July 28, 2015).  The lawsuit, filed in May by a high school teacher in the district, claimed that Florence, Colorado High School extensively promotes evangelical Christian activities through arrangements with a church, The Cowboy Church at Crossroads. (See prior posting.)  Under the settlement, school district employees may not in their official capacities engage in religious activities with students; and the district will ban all school-sponsored prayers or other religious expression before school-related captive audiences. Also the school district will ban school sponsorship of religious groups and religious activities, distribution of religious literature by district employees, and school-sponsored prayer request boxes.