Wantagh High School Student Wanting To Form Christian Club Claims School Told Her It Was Illegal
WANTAGH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - A student is fighting a Long Island school district after she claims they will not allow her to form a Christian club.
Liz Loverde, a student at Wantagh High School, said her religion helped her recover from depression and cutting herself and believes starting a Christian club at her public high school can help other students. However, Loverde said she was told the club, Dare to Believe, is illegal at the school.
Wantagh High School Student Wanting To Form Christian Club Claims School Told Her It Was Illegal
Jeremy Dys, an attorney at the Liberty Institute, told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall that is incorrect.
"The law says that if you're going to have extracurricular campus clubs, you cannot eliminate clubs just because you don't agree with their world view," he said. "And so for this school to have the Rube Goldberg Club, the Animal Rights and Recycling Club, but to deny the right of this club to meet, that's illegal."
The Wantagh Union Free School District said it is currently reviewing the request with the Board of Education and legal counsel.
A statement from district Superintendent Maureen Goldberg released Tuesday said before a student club can be formally recognized, "proper protocol and procedures must be followed."
"However, during the standard club establishment process Dare to Believe members have been permitted to gather and the club has met on several occasions throughout the school year to engage in their club activities," the statement reads.
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