One New York eighth grader claimed victory Tuesday in a religious freedom dispute after initially being denied the right to form a Bible club at his public school.
Elijah Nelson, a middle schooler at Waterville Jr./Sr. High School in the Waterville Central School District, had spent two years requesting approval to start the Bible club to connect with classmates who share his faith.
Initially, school officials told him the district could not support a religious club, citing concerns about violating the constitutional principle of government endorsement of religion.
“We are grateful that the school district now recognizes the constitutional right of this club to meet with equal funding, support, and recognition afforded to all other clubs,” said Keisha Russell, Elijah’s representation through the First Liberty Institute, in a press release.
“Schools should always respect the religious beliefs of their students. This is a victory for students of all faiths and a reminder that all people have a constitutional right to express their religious beliefs, pray, and study the Bible even in a public school setting,” she added.
Ms. Russell told The Washington Times that Elijah had clearly gone through all the proper procedures to satisfy the requirements for school club establishment.
“He contacted us and said, ‘Hey, is this right? You know, I feel like they’re not supposed to do this’ … And then we looked at the emails that he had with the administration,” she added. “And we thought: ‘Yeah, I mean, he’s done everything he needs to do, and the school is wrong about the law here.’”
Despite the initial denial, the district later allowed the group to meet informally during lunch under staff supervision. Another option proposed was for the club to register as an outside organization and meet after school hours, but this still left the club without the same official status granted to other student organizations.
Elijah’s cause gained online traction when attorneys from FLI and Jones Day sent a letter to the district, arguing that denying the club official recognition violated the First Amendment’s protections of religious freedom and free speech. The letter, sent early in December, pointed out that the Constitution requires schools to remain neutral toward religion, allowing religious clubs the same rights and benefits as other nonreligious student groups.
First Liberty’s letter to the school, Ms. Russell told The Times, was initially ignored until pressure from media interest forced the school to respond, putting the decision on the agenda for the board to consider.
“You know, the media contacted the school district, and then the school district, I guess, decided they needed to make a response to the media. And then they finally contacted us and said, ‘Yes, we will put his club on the meeting agenda. We will make sure it gets approved, and we will take care of it,’” she said.
The letter further explained that concerns about the school “endorsing” a particular religion were outdated and inconsistent with current interpretations of the Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from favoring or disfavoring religion.
Superintendent Jennifer Spring acknowledged to media that earlier guidance provided to Elijah about starting the club had been incorrect.
“We strive to provide all students with opportunities to learn, grow, and connect through various activities, including student-run clubs,” Ms. Spring said in a statement sent to The Washington Times. “In January 2024, inaccurate information was shared with a student regarding the ability to officially establish a Bible Study Club and alternative options were proposed to the group. There was renewed interest to start the club in September 2024. Superintendent approval was given and the students began meeting weekly in the library, which they have been doing since that time.
The superintendent’s statement continued: “In line with district policy, the Board of Education, by resolution, formally established the Bible Study Club during its December 10 meeting.”
The eighth grader said in the First Liberty press release that he’s looking forward to beginning the group. “I’m excited about starting the Bible Club with all those interested in studying and learning about the Bible,” he said.
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