More God in schools

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that public schools that permit after-school clubs must give equal access to religious clubs, and now a federal appeals court has answered whether a teacher or school employee can participate in these religious clubs.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (search) has ruled that South Dakota elementary school teacher Barbara Wigg must be permitted to participate in after-school, child Bible study at Laura B. Anderson Elementary School, where she teaches.

Wigg, who has been a teacher for 21 years, sued the Sioux Falls School District (search) last year when she was told she couldn't participate in the Good News Club, an after-school national religious program that meets on school property. Wigg had gone to one meeting before being prevented from attending.

The school district argued that it could not permit one of its teachers to lead such a class because it might give the impression that the school system favors a particular religion. But the court ruled that the school system had taken a discriminatory position on religion and had violated Wigg's free speech.

"In an effort to avoid an establishment of religion, Sioux Falls School District unnecessarily limits the ability of its employees to engage in private religious speech on their own time. Although SFSD allows access to the club, SFSD impermissibly discriminates by limiting those who can attend based upon the subject matter of the speech."
from: FOXnews.com