Hundreds of New Yorkers will gather at the Brooklyn Bridge today to protest the Department of Education’s decision to implement a policy that will ban houses of worship from renting spaces in New York City Public Schools for worship during nonschool hours.
These New Yorkers will represent a cross-section of our great city; they are Black and White, Latino and Asian, conservative and liberal, Jewish, Christian and Muslim. They are from all walks of life and represent the great diversity of New York. All are brought together for one purpose: to respectfully request that Mayor Bloomberg reverse the Department of Education’s discriminatory policy denying religious groups the same rights as other groups.
The argument is simple: This policy is wrong; it is discriminatory; and it ignores the good work that these houses of worship do in their communities.
Allowing the use public schools for worship services does not violate the establishment clause. By allowing houses of worship, like other community groups, to rent spaces in empty public schools, the government can be said to be accommodating religious groups. Accommodation of private religious speech is not endorsement.
In order for the establishment clause to be violated, the government must directly sponsor, promote or otherwise act to establish a religion. Empty school buildings are private forums accessible to any community group that proves their activities pertain to the welfare of the community. Accommodating religious groups for the same fee that others pay thus does not violate the establishment clause.
Moreover, this policy ignores the many benefits that these religious groups bring to communities. New Frontier Church, for instance, has donated air-conditioning units and ran soup kitchens and donation drives at PS 11 and the surrounding community in Manhattan. Heavenly Vision in The Bronx works with disconnected youth and transforms the lives of former gang members. Abounding Grace Ministries runs after-school programs. And the list goes on.
This policy is simply not in the best interest of our schools’ children and families. I do not ask for special treatment, but for fair treatment.
City Councilman Fernando Cabrera represents the 14th District in The Bronx.