Ministry pulls suit against Haverford schools

A Christian ministry has withdrawn its lawsuit against the Haverford Township School District after school administrators agreed to let the group post information on the school district Web site.

The Pennsylvania branch of the Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc. sued the district in October after administrators refused to issue fliers about the group's Good News Clubs, after-school programs in which grade-school students learn Bible verses through songs and games.

Child Evangelism Fellowship aims to convert children to Christianity. School officials worried that by sending home the fliers, parents or children might believe the school sponsors the club, school officials said.

CEF, citing a 2001 Supreme Court ruling in its favor, said school districts have to treat religious groups the same way they treat secular ones. Because the district distributed fliers for the Boy Scouts and parent-teacher organizations, it also must send fliers for CEF, the group argued.

The district relented and allowed a one-time issuance of fliers in late November, said Mary Beth Lauer, the district's community relations director. After that, the district restricted flier distribution to school functions only.

Community groups, including PTOs, now must post information on the school's Web site under the "Community Information" tab.

"One of the reasons that our school directors did not want any of those things going home in the backpacks is it appears the school is endorsing them," Lauer said. "Parents will make a choice on the Web site. They will choose whether to read it or not."

CEF dropped the lawsuit this week, but the school district will have to pay for CEF's legal fees, according to court records. CEF's attorneys declined to reveal the amount. Lauer said she did not know the total, and the attorneys representing the district did not return calls for comment.