I can understand why this lawsuit is viewed as a good thing by religious organizations wishing to have their flyers distributed in public schools.
The unfortunate 'unforseen consequence' of the outcome, however, has been that now the SUSD is totally discriminating against ALL outside agencies and entities who wish to have their flyers distributed. As a result of the court decisions (with the upcoming Az Supreme Court decision not yet reached) the (as usual, short-sighted) Governing Board of the Scottsdale Unified School District is to DISALLOW ALL non-SUSD flyers in our schools.
Currently, the city's Parks & Rec dept. is having to consider canceling the upcoming city-provided sports programs - because too few participants have signed up. This NEVER occurred in the past and is, according to city P&R Dept. personnel, totally due to the SUSD prohibiting them from having the sports team info and signup flyers distributed.
The Governing Board of SUSD has a long-held reputation for making over-reaching and overly broad 'knee jerk reactions' each time something hits the press and each time there is a court decision that effects public education.
The result is being felt personally, and I am extremely angry about it. We are of below-modest means, financially, and the city has graciously granted my 8th grade child a full scholarship to participate in the P&R sports teams and classes. These typically cost a resident $42 or more for roughly 6-8 wks. of participation each time. Since the main objective of the local high school is to accept only the most highly skilled sports players on ITS teams, this means that RIGHT NOW is my child's last opportunity to play team sports before falling under that 'high bar' imposed at high school.
Because the 7th/8th grade boys basketball team through the P&R program has too few kids enrolled right now, it looks like they will simply have to cancel the opportunity for ALL.
In all honesty I have to say that, as a result of the Hills v. SUSD No. 48, et. al., US Ct. App. CV-00-01087-SRB, 329 F.3rd. 1044, 9th Cir.Ct.App. 05/22/2003) (appeal from Az District Court No. 01-17518), case, I am certainly *not* feeling very charitable toward Hill's summer bible camp, the American Center for Law & Justice (representing Hill), or anything advocating Christian activities for school children.
It should be worth considering that for the number of Christian children attending public schools that some see as benefiting from the rulings, there are hundreds more children who are being done a grave disservice. My son is just one of those hundreds who are now on the receiving end of "discrimination".