Lawyerlady wrote:

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The disturbing part is that they are even trying to squash it. What business is it of theirs? Why does it matter to them?

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 I agree.

The school shouldn't have anything to do with it.

lilyofcourse wrote:

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flan327 wrote:

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I knew he was a reporter for Fox News.

I hate Googling before 8:00...

flan

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 What does that have to do with it?

What do you have to say about the content of it?

Is it ok the the school is trying to shut down something being done off campus, with private funds, on a voluntary basis?

Don't even think about the religious aspect.

Should the school have this right or ability?

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 1. Because LIBERALS are told "cite your source." The article is so obviously slanted, it makes it hard for me to take it seriously.

2. I need more FACTS.

Don't tell me not to think about the religious aspect. Of course THAT is at the heart of the issue.

“We believe that religious or political events do not have a place in our school or on our campus, except when sponsored by a student group in accordance with our rules, which require prior approval,” the pair wrote in an email sent to parents on April 12."

flan

flan327 wrote:

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Is the park school property?

That seems to be in contention here.

flan

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 It's a freaking public park. The school can claim it's their campus all they want but if my tax dollars are paying for that park then they can go pound sand. You'll latch on to anything that makes Christians the ones in the wrong every time.

flan327 wrote:

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Is the park school property?

That seems to be in contention here.

flan

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 You will defend anything against religion, won't you?

This is a public park - the mothers LEASED the pavilion.  The school thinks because they also use the park, they get to call it school property.

flan327 wrote:

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"I grew up in the Deep South. Had a school administrator slandered the great homemakers in my town like they did in Middleton -- they would’ve been facing a mob armed with cast iron skillets."

flan

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 Damn strait. My Mama was from Kentucky. Don't mess with little southern women in their pearls with cast iron skillets!

Makes me proud.  Now I want to fry up some chicken with biscuits and milk gravy 😜

Mary Zombie wrote:

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flan327 wrote:

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"I grew up in the Deep South. Had a school administrator slandered the great homemakers in my town like they did in Middleton -- they would’ve been facing a mob armed with cast iron skillets."

flan

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 Damn strait. My Mama was from Kentucky. Don't mess with little southern women in their pearls with cast iron skillets!

Makes me proud.  Now I want to fry up some chicken with biscuits and milk gravy 😜

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Don't forget the sweet tea!!!!! 

An article with more information - and the principal's comments are SCARY. The are in red.

MIDDLETON, Wis. -

Middleton-Cross Plains School District officials would like a gathering known as the "Jesus Lunch" held near the high school to stop.

"In one year what started out with less than 40 kids has grown into a lunch that serves almost 400 kids or a fourth of Middleton High School," a video posted online about the event says. "What makes this even more amazing is that while we provide the lunches, it’s the students who bring their friends and discuss a different biblical topic each week among themselves. It is entirely voluntary."

“What it’s all about is some mothers, they bring a lot of food to the park by the school and then people eat it and they also have bible stuff there as well,” Middleton senior Logan Kossel said.

In a letter sent to parents Tuesday, high school Principal Steve Plank and District Administrator Don Johnson said that the city leases the park, making it part of school property and subject to school rules about both parent- and student-organized activities.

Plank said the event violates school and district policy because parents are not following food safety standards, are not checking in as visitors to the school, and the event seems to be adult-organized and not initiated by students.

“At some level we want to be very direct and say, ‘This is not approved by the school district,’ and I think right now they are saying, ‘We don’t care and we believe we have the right to come in because it’s a park even though you’ve leased it,” Johnson said.

"The parents contend that it is their First Amendment right to provide free food and hold a religiously oriented event on this property during school hours," the letter to parents says. "The district believes that we have jurisdiction of this leased property, which is part of our campus.

“They have a First Amendment right and a right to access facilities after hours. All those are accurate, but we don’t necessarily allow the Hindu community and the Buddhist community and Islamic community and Wiccans and others to come in and proselytize and bring their message to our students” Johnson said.

"We believe that religious or political events do not have a place in our school or on our campus, except when sponsored by a student group in accordance with our rules, which require prior approval. In addition, many students have conveyed to us their concern about a group offering free food to incentivize participation in a religious event on campus. The result of which has a divisive impact on our learning community. As such, we will continue to work with the parent group to find an amicable resolution."

“There are some students that when they know this day is coming, they will leave school early. (We) have some students that staff will find sitting in the hallway crying,” Plank said.

“A lot of students feel that it’s not OK to have religious affiliation on school grounds, and other students also think not everyone has to participate in it. They’re not being forced to, so it’s not an issue so there’s kind of a clash there,” Kossel said.

The organizers of the lunch issued a statement to News 3.

"We would like to thank you for this opportunity to hear our story, as the Middleton School District has not yet approached us to discuss what we do or how the Jesus Lunch began. We have invited them to attend, but as of date they have declined.

"The question here is not us being in opposition to the school, but rather that we have a right to be in Fireman's Park. Although the school district contends that it is school grounds because they have a lease, the public still has a right to use the park during school hours."

Organizers said the park can be used by the public.

"By law, the lease agreement between the city and the School District of Middleton does not privatize the park," the statement said.

Organizers said the City of Middleton acknowledges their rental agreement for the Fireman's Park pavilion.

"Our mission statement for Jesus Lunch is 'food for the body, nutrition for the soul.' Our goal each week is to share a biblical truth. Students who come to lunch are not required to listen to or participate in the 3-5 minute message," the statement said.

Organizers said the Jesus Lunch began in the fall of 2014 with a small group of our children and their friends.

"Students that attend Jesus Lunch have expressed their desire for Jesus Lunch to continue," the statement said. "The Jesus Lunch has become the highlight of the week for students and those involved!

Middleton City Administrator Mike Davis told News 3 Wednesday afternoon that the lease agreement the city has with the district allows “contemporaneous use” by members of the general public “from time to time.”

Davis said the district has the right to enforce its rules in the park, “as long as they don’t conflict with the interests of the general public.”

The group has legal representation, and plans to hold the lunch again next week.

District officials said they are looking for an amicable solution.

Lawyerlady wrote:

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You know what is scaring people? That the kids WANT to go to the Jesus lunch.

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 Kids will come to ANYTHING if you feed them.

flan

flan327 wrote:

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Lawyerlady wrote:

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You know what is scaring people? That the kids WANT to go to the Jesus lunch.

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 Kids will come to ANYTHING if you feed them.

flan

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 Really?  Well, good thing that staying for the message part is voluntary.

Lawyerlady wrote:

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They can try to say it the school campus all they want, but it's a public park, and even their own lease says the public can use it contemporaneously. Perhaps the city should revoke the school's lease.

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Yep.  I wonder what the school is actually going to try to do about this.  If kids are allowed to leave campus at lunch, there's not a damn thing they can do.  Are they going to tell them where they can and cannot go? 

flan327 wrote:

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Lawyerlady wrote:

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flan327 wrote:

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Lawyerlady wrote:

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You know what is scaring people? That the kids WANT to go to the Jesus lunch.

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 Kids will come to ANYTHING if you feed them.

flan

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 Really?  Well, good thing that staying for the message part is voluntary.

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 Actually, I should amend that to "people."

Libraries capitalize on that regularly.

flan

 

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 So does everyone else.

flan327 wrote:

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I do hope they can come to a compromise.

flan

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 Why should the moms have to compromise?  

huskerbb wrote:

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flan327 wrote:

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I do hope they can come to a compromise.

flan

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 Why should the moms have to compromise?  

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 Exactly.   They are on their own time, in a park pavilion they leased out, and are meeting with kids who voluntarily come. 

Lexxy wrote:

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This is ridiculous. If the kids are allowed to leave campus for lunch then they can eat lunch anywhere they choose. If it is the public park on Jesus Lunch day then so be it.

As for the food handling I doubt they prohibit mom packed lunches so that is just moot. And these are HS students. I'm sure they know what they are allergic to at this point.

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 Yep.  

If they open the campus and allow kids to leave - the kids get to go where they want.

If they allow sack lunches - the kids can eat what moms prepare.