Liberty Counsel. Long Beach, CA – The Long Beach District School Board has approved a
settlement agreement with Christopher Rand, a high school student who
was denied credit for community service hours he completed at his
church. Chris has now received full credit for the hours. The district
administration also rewrote its community service learning policy to
allow students to complete mandatory community service hours at either
secular or religious organizations, including churches, on the same
terms.

In October 2007, Liberty Counsel filed a lawsuit against the
district because Chris’s school refused to grant credit for more than
70 hours of community service, solely because it was performed at Long
Beach Alliance Church. He interacted with the children in the church’s
programs, answered questions, assisted with crafts and art projects,
supervised activity time to help ensure safety, and performed other
duties.

After Chris submitted the required documentation regarding his
volunteer service, he was denied credit because the district’s prior
community service learning policy stated, “Service to your religious
community does not count.” If Christopher had given the same service in
a secular school or in a nonreligious childcare program, his service
would have been credited. Shortly after Liberty Counsel filed suit, the
district agreed to award Chris credit for the full 72.5 hours that had
previously been rejected.

In addition to giving Chris credit for his community service, the
district accepted input from Liberty Counsel in revising its policy to
comply with the First Amendment. Under the new policy, religious
organizations will receive the same treatment as other nonprofit
organizations in terms of the types of community service work that is
permitted. Students are expressly allowed to supervise and assist with
leading organized children’s activities, such as those performed by
Chris. The district also agreed to pay attorney’s fees and costs to
Liberty Counsel.

Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty
University School of Law, commented: “When community service is a
graduation requirement, schools cannot limit service to secular venues.
Discrimination against performing community service for religious
organizations violates the First Amendment and offends the rich
religious heritage that made this country great.”

Used with permission of Liberty Counsel

The Liberty Letters are a project of the Latter-day Center for Moral Liberalism

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