The principal won’t let our pro-choice teen group meet in a classroom after school. But the school drama club is allowed to meet on school property after school, and so are a lot of other clubs. It doesn’t seem right to let some groups meet and not others. It isn’t right. If other groups not directly related to the curriculum can meet on school property after school, then your group must also be allowed to. You have a right to express yourselves by forming a club and sharing your views. Does that include all student groups? We want to form a Christian Bible study group and also say prayers at our meetings after school. Is that okay? If your school lets other groups meet, then your Bible group can also meet. And you can pray openly, if you want. The school can’t allow some expression and forbid other expression, like prayers, at least not for after-hour student clubs. Can a teacher or someone from the community participate in our Bible study meetings, too? No. Only students can be involved in meetings of student religious groups on school property. School staff can’t participate, and people from outside the school can’t lead or regularly attend the meetings. What if we invite a teacher or parent to come just once, as a guest speaker? That would be okay. Do the same rules apply to Gay/Straight Alliance clubs at my school? Yes. If there is a Bible club or any other non-curricular club, then the school has to allow gay-themed clubs.
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