According to the Equal Access Act, school students
"Have the Right" to assemble for spiritually-oriented
activities on a voluntary basis, during the school day.
Just For Jesus is one organization that is determined
to promote and support this right for them.
Although students have long had the right to
engage in religious expression in public schools,
districts across the country often prohibit them
from exercising these rights based on a false view of the law.
As a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak
the Truth, ADF and JFJ have been established, in part, to help protect these cherished freedoms and to restore rights
guaranteed by the Constitution.
Here are some Basics that cover these Important Rights:
- Students have the right to pray, evangelize, read scripture, distribute literature, and invite fellow students to participate as long as it is voluntary, it is not disruptive or coercive and that it occurs during non-instructional time.
*. Schools may only prohibit student expression if there
is specific evidence that the expression materially and
substantially interferes with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of the school
or interferes with the rights of others.
*. All student expression is subject to reasonable time,
place, and manner restrictions imposed by the school.
These restrictions must be content neutral, narrowly
tailored to serve a significant government interest, and
leave open ample alternative channels of communication.
- Students have the right to express their religious views during class discussions or as a part of an assignment as long as the expression is relevant to the subject under consideration and otherwise meets the requirements of the assignment.
- Students may lawfully study the Bible as part of a secular program of education if the school should choose to use or allow use of the Bible as a part of its curriculum.
- Students may lawfully study and perform religious songs as a part of advancing the students' objective knowledge of society's cultural and religious heritage, or furthering the study of music, if the school should choose to use religious songs as a part of the curriculum.
- Secondary school students may form religious clubs if the school receives federal funds and allows noncurriculum related clubs to meet during noninstructional time.