Public Bulletin Boards
Many school systems allow non-curricular groups to use public
bulletin boards as a place to post events and other literature.
Furthermore, teachers frequently allow students to post non-curricular
events on walls and doors in their classrooms. The same rule
applies here, as applies to public announcements. If a public
school system or teacher allows students with a secular message
(expression) to use a bulletin board for non-curricular purposes,
then the school system or teacher must also allow students to
use the bulletin board for religious expression or purposes (within
the same guidelines as other groups.)
For instance, if an art teacher allows
students to present secular artwork in a display at the school,
then the teacher must allow
students to present religious artwork as well. In this instance,
it is clear that the artwork being presented is the student’s
viewpoint and not the government’s.
Furthermore, if a school system allows students from the chess
club (a student-lead non-curricular group) to use the public
bulletin boards, then it must also permit religiously oriented
student-lead non-curricular groups, such as Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, to use them as well.
If a public bulletin board is used for curricular groups only,
then using it for any sort of religious expression would not
be permitted, or constitutionally protected. Curricular messages
are specifically delivered by the school/government and therefore
cannot be religious in nature; otherwise it would be a violation
of the separation of church and state.
Frequently schools will have students submit bulletin board announcements
to a reviewer before allowing them to be posted on the public
bulletin boards. The reviewer must not single out religious expression
for censorship. If a student feels as though his or her announcement
was denied for religious purposes, then it would be important
to point out those non-curricular groups that currently use the
boards. Then, if the reviewer continues to deny submissions of
a religious nature, click on the “take action button” and
follow the instructions accordingly.
The content on this page has been reviewed by The Rutherford Institute.
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