Liberty Counsel filed a lawsuit on behalf of Hawaii (CEF) against the Hawaii State Department of Education and the superintendents of four of its locations for violating the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, state laws, and school policies by discriminating against and blocking CEF from hosting its elementary school Good News Clubs in certain district facilities that are open to other, similarly situated non-religious organizations.
Good News Clubs typically meet once per week, immediately after school, and are led by trained and vetted local community volunteers.
The clubs provide religious and other teaching and activities to encourage learning, spiritual growth, and service to others, as well as social, emotional, character, and leadership development.
Prior to COVID-19, CEF Hawaii had active Good News Clubs in over a dozen schools on Oahu and other islands. Then after restricting after-school programs due to COVID-19, school officials partially restarted after-school programs in November 2021, and fully restored after-school programs in 2022.
However, Hawaii officials have denied every request submitted by CEF and either expressly or effectively denied every appeal, while allowing access for other similar groups to meet after school on campus.