A huge victory for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The FCA has been ministering to high school, college and professional athletes for more than 70 years.
But over the past 20 years or so, the FCA has faced blistering attacks from Alphabet activists, godless school districts and Democrats.
The FCA was actually banned at Jackson-Reed High School in Washington, D.C. School leaders said that the group’s opposition to LGBT leaders was immoral and violated the city’s human rights policies.
“FCA is free to organize around sharing ‘its traditional Christian beliefs,’ just as other student clubs can organize around their shared religious beliefs or other interests involving gender, nationality, or other protected characteristics,” wrote Matthew R. Blecher, chief of the attorney general office’s equity section. “But, just like other student organizations, the Anti-Discrimination Policy prohibits FCA from restricting membership or leadership based on protected characteristics.”
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed a federal lawsuit against the district arguing that FCA has a constitutional right to choose leaders based on traditional Christian beliefs.
And U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich agreed – ruling that the school system had violated the FCA’s constitutional rights.
Anti-discrimination laws “have done much to secure the civil rights of all Americans,” Friedrich wrote, “But anti-discrimination laws, like all other laws, must be applied evenhandedly and not in violation of the Constitution.”
Judge Friedrich writing in a 31-page opinion said the school system had allowed race-based clubs and LGBT clubs to choose leaders who were ideologically aligned, but denied the same right to the Christians.
Joe Davis, senior counsel for The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represented the fellowship, said the D.C. decision was the latest in a string of victories for religious groups, bolstered by a Supreme Court that just last year issued rulings strengthening protections for Sabbath-observant employees at workplaces and shielding some businesses from being required to provide services to same-sex couples.
“As a matter of common sense, student groups should be able to pick leaders who believe in their missions. Can a Christian student group ensure it’s leaders actually share its Christian beliefs?” Davis said. If the District appeals, he added, “The question will be either the D.C. Circuit agrees with the 9th Circuit, or there’s a circuit split that can be resolved by the Supreme Court.”
The bottom line is that Christian athletes will finally be able to fellowship in our nation’s capital.
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