Judicial Crusade to Establish Churches in Schools

Detail from the cover of Katherine Stewart's book,
'The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth
Assault on America's Children.' (photo: Perseus Books)

By Katherine Stewart, Guardian UK

08 July 12

A judge's decision forcing New York City to provide subsidised space for religious worship challenges the US constitution.

he government of the City of New York is now in the religion business.

It is being forced against its will to fund and operate a set of well-furnished facilities in prime locations for the purpose of housing a large network of predominantly evangelical churches. On weekdays, during school hours, these facilities are known as "public schools". But after the bell rings, they become part of what we may now call "the Church of New York City".

How did this blatant violation of the first amendment happen?

Among the many people who made this strange development possible, it wouldn't have taken place without a certain kind of judge - the kind who, in other contexts, talks loudly about the virtues of "limited government", the horrors of "judicial activism", and the sanctity of the US constitution. Last week, Loretta Preska, chief judge of the US district court for the southern district of New York, who was appointed to her post by President George W Bush and is a member of the Federalist Society, ruled that the constitution positively requires the New York City department of education to provide publicly subsidized housing for churches through its public schools.  READ MORE