High School Student Prevails Against Religious Discrimination

By 

Shaheryar Gill

|
July 13, 2015

2 min read

Religious Liberty

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Religious liberty victories come in all shapes and sizes, and here at the ACLJ, we are excited to celebrate each and every one of them. On June 18, 2015, a 10th grade student in Bowie, Maryland turned in a community service report form to satisfy her school’s community service requirement. She had performed the community service hours at a local nursing home, by helping with church services and picnics held for the residents there. She was surprised when a school employee visited her classroom later that day to return the form, informing her that the school would not accept the hours which they classified as “missionary work”—claiming that such work does not qualify, because it is not for the benefit of the general community.

Shocked by the rejection, the student’s mother promptly contacted the ACLJ through our online legal help request form. We informed her that civic services, even if performed through a church, are considered community services, and the student may not be discriminated against simply because the services were provided through a church. We further recommended that the student describe in detail the kind of services that she provided at the nursing home. Reinforced by this advice, the student resubmitted the form to the school. This time, the school accepted the hours as a fulfillment of the community service requirement without issue.

We are encouraged and pleased to hear stories of success such as this one. We thank you for your support and prayers for the ACLJ, which enable us to help defend Constitutional freedoms—even one high-school student at a time.