The opinion discovered that the district didn’t deal with Fellowship of Christian Athletes “like comparable secular pupil teams whose membership was restricted based mostly on standards together with intercourse, race, ethnicity and gender identification.” The opinion discovered that “the Structure prohibits such a double customary”.
The appeals court docket ruling grants the Fellowship of Christian Athletes short-term reduction permitting it equal entry to public faculties whereas the dispute is resolved. The choice doesn’t handle the constitutionality of the difficulty within the ongoing lawsuit, but it surely signifies that the Fellowship of Christian Athletes is probably going to achieve its claims in opposition to the district.
In a concurring opinion, Decide Danielle J. Forrest stated the district discriminated in opposition to Christians below the guise of combating discrimination.
“The peak of irony is that the district was excluded [the Fellowship of Christian Athletes] college students from full participation at [Associated Student Body] program within the title of stopping discrimination to purportedly be certain that all college students really feel welcome,” the assertion stated. “In doing so, the district has selectively enforced its nondiscrimination coverage to learn viewpoints it favors on the expense of viewpoints it doesn’t like.
Rigo Lopez, head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for Bay Space faculties, praised the choice in an announcement.
“[Fellowship of Christian Athletes] is happy to return to serving our campuses,” stated Lopez. “Our FCA groups have lengthy loved sturdy relationships with academics and college students prior to now and we stay up for doing so once more.”