After-school clubs that include worship and Bible study straddle a fine line with regard to the First Amendment. In a recently settled lawsuit, officials at Middlebury Union High School determined that current federal law says religious clubs deserve the same benefits and support as other school-sanctioned co-curricular activities.
Lee Sease is the Addison Central Supervisory Union Superintendent. Cheryl Hanna is a Vermont Law School professor. They spoke with VPR’s Jane Lindholm about the decision to give a youth religious club space to meet, a budget and an on-campus adviser, and the evolution of legal thinking on the issue.