Athiest Group Threatens To Sue School Over Charitable Effort

[Teh One Who Knocks]

CBS 4 Denver


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HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4) – An atheist group has threatened to file a lawsuit against a school in Highlands Ranch after students packed up Christmas boxes for charity.

Last week the American Humanist Association — an atheist group with the motto “Good Without a God” — warned Sky View Academy about possible legal action.

They claim a project to help Typhoon victims in the Philippines is promoting Christianity, and the atheists say what the students were doing was illegal.

Michaela Van Sant is a junior at the school. When a CBS4 was there on Tuesday she and her friends were outside the school promoting Operation Christmas Child, which encourages people to provide Christmas boxes to typhoon victims in the Phillipines and in other developing nations.

“School supplies and hygiene items and toys,” she said, describing what goes in the boxes. “Just to bring joy to them on Christmas.”

Van Sant helped organize the drive, and the boxes will be distributed through the Christian group Samaritan’s Purse.

“These kids have nothing. It’s just giving the basic necessities to them,” Van Sant said.

Sky View Academy founder Lisa Nolan said the school buckled to the pressure and stopped the drive.

“This year at this time we’re not prepared to fight the battle, but in the future we would like to develop policy,” she said.

Sky View parents and students have kept the drive alive just off school grounds.

“The thought of not being able to give those kids those boxes broke my heart,” Van Sant said.

Parent Kendal Unruh told CBS4 she is proud the students have taken a stand against what she calls “bullying.”

“As parents we’re all frustrated. It happens over and over and over and finally it hit on our turf and we’re going to push back,” Unruh said.

It’s a push that Van Sant says is worth it.

“Regardless of whether or not it’s a Christian organization, these kids deserve to feel loved on Christmas,” she said.

The American Humanist Association sent the following statement to CBS4:


Sky View was sending a message to non-Christians that Christianity is preferred over all other religions and that religion is preferred over non-religion. This message is unconstitutional.

Students were planning to collect more boxes just off school grounds at 8:30 a.m. and again at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Ryan Parker - The Denver Post


A Douglas County charter school will no longer participate in a Christmas donation program for disadvantaged children because of the threat of a lawsuit.

SkyView Academy received a letter from the American Humanist Association threatening legal action if the school was a part of Operation Christmas Child, said Lorrie Grove, SkyView Academy board president.

"We felt shocked and disappointed," she said. "It was hard to believe we were receiving a threatening letter based on the good intentions of our students."

An email from the school to parents, informing them of the situation and decision, was sent out last week, just days before donations were scheduled to be collected.

The Samaritan's Purse, a non-denominational Christian organization, sends shoeboxes filled with hygiene items, candy and gifts — and a Gospel message — to children around the world.

A group of SkyView students have been participating in the program for the past two years as part of their chosen community service project, Grove said.

Kimberly Saviano, president of the Humanists of Colorado, a local chapter of American Humanist Association, said she was unaware who sent the letter, but she agreed with what it said.

"I love the idea of the gifts to children, but there are certain proprieties tied with something like this, and that is when they go off the rails," Saviano said.

The issue is not the gift, but the religious message that comes along with it, which acts as a catch for the generosity, Saviano said.

"There are places for these type of things and a public school is not one of them," she said.

It was the SkyView board's determination to cut ties with the program, not the district's, said Michelle Yi, Douglas County School District spokeswoman.

"We respect that decision," she said.

The choice may have been unanimous, but it was not an easy one to make, Grove said of the board's move.

"It's disappointing some meaningful efforts of our students were misinterpreted," she said.

Some parents said they are appalled by the letter, but understand the school had to make the decision.

"It's the definition of bullying," said Kendal Unruh, a SkyView parent. "They know where these toys are going, and this effects innocent children all over the country."

A rally will be held outside SkyView, on the public sidewalk, Wednesday afternoon as school gets out, in response to the letter, Unruh said.

Ruth VanSant, whose daughter Michaela was one of the founding members of the group to participate in Operation Christmas Child, said the students' compassion has not been stifled.

"This is still happening," she said.

Parents and students will be collecting for Operation Christmas Child before and after school, near the building on public property, VanSant said.

[Muddy]

Is the Philippines a Christian country?

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Is the Philippines a Christian country?

http://i.imgur.com/gVdds5C.png

[Muddy]

So I dont see the big deal.. Don't let your kids participate if you dont want them too.

[Goofy]

I hate this fucking lawsuit culture :| I vote we change regular mondays to "Shoot a Lawyer monday", great way to brighten up the worst day of the week :tup: