Posted on 05/30/2006 3:17:33 PM PDT by SmithL
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court rejected an appeal Tuesday from an atheist father over Boy Scout recruiting at his son's public school.
John Scalise had asked the court to bar public schools from opening their doors to Boy Scout recruiters and promoting membership, arguing that the group discriminates against nonreligious boys and parents by denying them membership if they don't swear to religious oaths.
Scalise's dispute with the Scouts dates back to 1998, when his son was a third-grader in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
He claims he and his son were barred from a Scout program at the elementary school because they would not pledge "to do my duty to God and my country." They are nonreligious Humanists.
Michigan courts ruled that the school-Scout partnership did not advance religion in violation of constitutional dictates.
Attorneys for the Scouts and Mount Pleasant school system told justices that the appeal was frivolous.
A Michigan appeals court said that Mount Pleasant schools allowed other organizations to use class facilities, including a hospital group, an Indian tribe, a Baptist church, and a hockey association.
Scalise argued that his son, Benjamin, was taunted by classmates and humiliated by a Boy Scout recruiter in front of other students. Benjamin Scalise is now 17.
The Supreme Court's last Boy Scout case was in 2000. Justices ruled 5-4 at the time that the Boy Scouts can bar gays from serving as troop leaders. The ruling was written by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who died last year.
Scalise's attorney, Timothy Taylor of Mount Pleasant, said taxpayer-funded schools are too cozy with the Boy Scouts.
"It's going on all over the country and has been for decades," he said.
A small "hooray" is called for here...
Thank God! That trouble making jerk is an anti social creep.
I wonder if this moron knows that he can start his very own boys organization for people like him. Instead, like a good communist or atheist he wants to force an organization to do his bidding and fit his concept of the world. Scum like him have been attacking the boy scouts for years.
Now if only they will uphold the ban on "partial-birth(complete murder)abortion law".
Every small win is important over the long run.
Um, is that code word for ATHEIST????
Geez, tell it like it is for heavens sake!
Thank the "Bushbots" for this one.
Scalise, why don't you start your own program? You could call it "Humanists loving the earth". Oh, that's right, there already is a program established. It is call "public education".
Not only attacking the Boy Scouts verbally, but SEXUALLY as well.
I always wonder why these "nonreligious Humanists" don't simply start their own youth groups and all six of them can be happy and the Boy Scouts and normal people can also be happy...
Did they really though? You win but it cost you millions. If the loser had to pay all legal expenses this stuff couldn't thrive.
Scalise's attorney, Timothy Taylor of Mount Pleasant, said taxpayer-funded schools are too cozy with the Boy Scouts.
"It's going on all over the country and has been for decades," he said.
Ahhh, but it they were atheistic "Young Pioneers" that would be another story eh Mr. Scalise?
What is an atheistic humanist anyway?
The justice system works and he got his case as far as he did (if even spurious)
and the SCOTUS used common sense in the application of precident to tell this jerk to take a hike.
"All six of them" - hehe.
Jotting you down in my "every thread is really abortion" notebook
Ahhh - Why would you want to join an organization that believes in things you don't? Go found your own organization - on Godless principles. That's where the equality comes in, you are free to start your own groups that espouse to your believes, or lack thereof - (and see how good it is or how long it lasts)
Hooray for SCOTUS
both words mean the same
Wow, what a bummer. You work for damnnear a decade to get your lefty cause in front of the Supremes and - BAM! - you run smack-dab into a freshly-minted conservative court.
Oh, the humanitarian!
I was thinking that Mr. Scalise should start an organization for young nonreligious humanists as an alternative to the Boy Scouts, and call it the Boy Humans, but starting an American version of Young Pioneers would be better. Just think of all the tradition from the Soviet Union they could draw on. (I don't know if the organization still exists in Russia.)
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