Schools and Religion: Executive Summary and Transcripts of Proceedings Before the211 United States Commission on Civil Rights. Held in Washington, DC., New York City 211 and Seattle, Washington in Spring/Summer 1998

摘要

The executive summary and transcripts have been produced as the result of an211u001eeffort by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to study and collect information 211u001eabout religious discrimination in the Nation's public schools. The Commission was 211u001econcerned with those acts that deprive individuals of certain rights because of 211u001etheir religious beliefs or practices. Within the broad area of nondiscrimination 211u001ein the context of religious expression in public schools, the Commission 211u001econcentrated its review on (1) assessing school districts' compliance with the 211u001eEqual Access Act, 20 U.S.C. Section 4071 (1995), and Supreme Court decisions 211u001egoverning equal access to school facilities by religious groups; (2) determining 211u001ewhether schools are maintaining the delicate balance between the legally mandated 211u001eseparation of church and state while complying with equal access laws; (3) 211u001edetermining whether all religious groups are being accorded protection under 211u001eexisting law; and (4) identifying specific religious practices and beliefs that 211u001emay be subject to discrimination or denial of equal protection.