School Shuts Out Pagan Club

The Okaloosa County School Board in Florida passed new rules on the formation of student clubs that require a minimum of five students before a group can be formed. That rule, curiously, was created specifically to deny a student the ability to start a pagan club. Of course, the school already has more than one Christian club.

The Sun-Sentinel reports:

The board passed a requirement that clubs have at least five members and a faculty sponsor after the girl's mother, Stephney Aigret, had approached officials at Max Bruner Jr. Middle School in Fort Walton Beach. ``She doesn't have enough people to start her club,'' Aigret told the board during an hour-long debate Monday. ``So this, in my opinion, is just one way the government can shut down undesirable clubs.''

``We can beat this to death, but I personally think the policy is more than adequate to protect students' rights,'' board member Rodney Walker said.

The policy protects students rights, even as it is designed to prevent the creation of “undesirable” clubs? And let’s make sure that we remember what we are talking about: a government official has stated as part of the official record that they are creating rules because they find a particular minority religion “undesirable” and, furthermore, the idea of members of his religion organizing and explaining their beliefs is “undesirable.”

The same family has, in the past, challenged the inclusion of the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance said in the schools, so it sounds like they have been a thorn in the side of school officials for some time now. Good for them! It really sounds like these school officials need a few thorns in their side because they somehow failed to learn tolerance and respect on their own.

Read More:

• Secularism 101
• Separation of Church and State 101
• Religion in Public Schools