Memphis charter schools respond to legal threat over Catholic Church's morality clause
A national group that advocates for the separation of church and state in schools is threatening legal action over a morality clause in a lease agreement between a group of Memphis charter schools and the Catholic Church.
The clause, agreed to by charter schools operating on Catholic Church property, would
prohibit any teachings that the church sees as "gravely immoral," raising concerns of constitutionality and possible oversight of a public school by a religious organization.
Compass Community Schools issued its first public response Friday over the lease agreements, which were also released Friday through a records request.
"We sincerely care about the questions raised regarding our lease, and our leadership team is currently engaged in dialogue about this matter," the statement from board chairman John Smarrelli said.
The Center for Inquiry, headquartered in New York, sent a letter to the Tennessee attorney general's office, as well as Gov. Bill Lee and Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn.
The organization's vice president and general counsel, Nicholas J. Little, said the group was "extremely concerned" after reading a story in The Commercial Appeal this week about the lease agreement between the church and Compass Community Schools.
"Such a commitment to a religious group to refrain from teaching children anything which might involve a challenge to a church's doctrine violates the Constitution," the letter stated.
https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/education/2019/03/29/group-threatens-suit-over-compass-charter-schools-lease-clause-catholic-church-separation-state/3309408002/
= new reply since forum marked as read
