[Roundtable] Scouts Make Preemptive Move Against ACLU's Threats

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 17:02:56 -0600

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 <http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/3/152005g.asp> Scouts Make
Preemptive Move Against ACLU's Threats
Agape Press - Tupelo,MS,USA
Scouts Make Preemptive Move Against ACLU's Threats

By Chad Groening
March 15, 2005

(AgapePress) - The Boy Scouts of America organization has taken a step =
to
save thousands of local public school systems from being used by the =
ACLU.

Just last month, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the =
Boy
Scouts of America <http://www.scouting.org/> (BSA), threatening to sue
public schools that charter Boy Scout groups. The ACLU contends that
schools' sponsorship amounts to religious discrimination and violates =
the
separation of church and state. Baptist Press says according to =
information
on the ACLU website, the group also views various Scout emphases -- such =
as
allegiance to God and country, a resolve to help others, a commitment to
remain morally straight, and character development -- worthy of legal
action.=20

In response to this latest legal warning, Boy Scout national spokesman =
Gregg
Shields explains the BSA defused the threat simply by transferring the
charters to parent-teacher organizations or churches.

"Boy Scout troops will still have the same rights to meet in school
buildings as any other community-based group, but the charter will not =
be
held by the school administration," he explains. "So we'll still be in =
the
school; we'll still use the school building, if we did before -- simply =
the
school administrator will not have to endure litigation from the ACLU."

Shields says the ACLU knows the Boy Scouts are prepared to defend =
themselves
against endless litigation, and therefore decided to change its strategy =
and
threaten third-party organizations like public school systems. Without =
this
adjustment from the Scouts, he says, the situation could potentially be =
very
expensive for schools.

"This could sap thousands or even millions of dollars from schools that =
are
already financially strapped to provide education," he says. "So =
instead,
the Boy Scouts of America has chosen to protect the resources of our
education partners by simply moving the charters from the public schools =
to
organizations like parent-teacher organizations or religious =
organizations."

The ACLU has targeted the BSA numerous times in the past few years,
particularly since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the youth organization =
has a
constitutional right to exclude homosexuals from positions of authority =
as
Scout troop leaders. Despite that ruling, the ACLU continues to consider
such a policy discriminatory.

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<A =
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href=3D"http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/3/152005g.asp">Scouts<=
/B> Make=20
Preemptive Move Against ACLU's Threats</A> <FONT=20
color=3D#666666>Agape Press - Tupelo,MS,USA Scouts Make=20
Preemptive Move Against ACLU's Threats </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: sans-serif">

By Chad Groening March 15, 2005
(AgapePress) - The Boy Scouts of America organization has taken a =
step to=20
save thousands of local public school systems from being used by the =
ACLU.
Just last month, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to =
the <A=20
href=3D"http://www.scouting.org/" target=3D_blank>Boy Scouts of =
America</A> (BSA),=20
threatening to sue public schools that charter Boy Scout groups. The =
ACLU=20
contends that schools' sponsorship amounts to religious discrimination =
and=20
violates the separation of church and state. Baptist Press =
says=20
according to information on the ACLU website, the group also views =
various=20
Scout emphases -- such as allegiance to God and country, a resolve to =
help=20
others, a commitment to remain morally straight, and character =
development --=20
worthy of legal action. 
In response to this latest legal warning, Boy Scout national =
spokesman Gregg=20
Shields explains the BSA defused the threat simply by transferring the =
charters=20
to parent-teacher organizations or churches.
"Boy Scout troops will still have the same rights to meet in school =
buildings=20
as any other community-based group, but the charter will not be held by =
the=20
school administration," he explains. "So we'll still be in the school; =
we'll=20
still use the school building, if we did before -- simply the school=20
administrator will not have to endure litigation from the ACLU."
Shields says the ACLU knows the Boy Scouts are prepared to defend =
themselves=20
against endless litigation, and therefore decided to change its strategy =
and=20
threaten third-party organizations like public school systems. Without =
this=20
adjustment from the Scouts, he says, the situation could potentially be =
very=20
expensive for schools.
"This could sap thousands or even millions of dollars from schools =
that are=20
already financially strapped to provide education," he says. "So =
instead, the=20
Boy Scouts of America has chosen to protect the resources of our =
education=20
partners by simply moving the charters from the public schools to =
organizations=20
like parent-teacher organizations or religious organizations."
The ACLU has targeted the BSA numerous times in the past few years,=20
particularly since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the youth organization =
has a=20
constitutional right to exclude homosexuals from positions of authority =
as Scout=20
troop leaders. Despite that ruling, the ACLU continues to consider such =
a policy=20
discriminatory.
&copy; 2005 AgapePress all rights=20
reserved.</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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