Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute

By Brad Dacus

President

Pacific Justice Institute

SACRAMENTO — A Northern California school under fire for religious discrimination has agreed to change its policies and settle a student’s First Amendment lawsuit.

Under the settlement, which was finalized with federal court filings on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, the charter school based in Loomis will no longer insist on putting a disclaimer on fliers or other invitations between students.

Attorneys with Pacific Justice Institute filed suit against the school late last year on behalf of a student identified as “Esther” who was called to the office multiple times and scolded for giving a fellow student an invitation to a Christian event. Because the invitation was given outside of classtime, the school had no involvement with the student-to-student interaction. After a parent complained, however, the school insisted that Esther bring any such invitations to the office to receive an official disclaimer.

“We are very pleased that this school eventually did the right thing and abandoned its unconstitutional disclaimer policy. Students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate, and those rights include the ability to invite each other to outside events without government interference.”