High School authorities in Middleton, Wisconsin, are trying to shut down a voluntary off-campus program called "Jesus Lunch" for students, which is offered once a week by a group of Christian moms.
The school said that they were opposing the program because it was "divisive", offered "free food," and was not qualified in food handling standards.
Students are allowed to eat lunch outside the school. In 2014, a group of moms began meeting their children at a nearby local park for lunch, where they would impart inspirational messages to their kids. With time, the program grew to have about 500 students.
"We show up every week just to show the love of Jesus," one parent named Beth Williams told Fox News. "Our mission statement for Jesus Lunch is 'food for the body, nutrition for the soul.'"
A video posted online about the event briefly described the event where participation is voluntary.
"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," the video said.
Principal Stephen Plank suggested that the motive of the gathering was been seen in a negative light by many students.
"Many students have conveyed to us their concern about a group offering free food to incentivize participation in a religious event on campus," he told News8000.com. "The result of which has a divisive impact on our learning community."
District Administrator Don Johnson and Plank wrote a letter to parents that the local park cannot be considered public property because it was being leased by the city, so was part of the school - and the school cannot let them use it for activities not organized through set rules.
"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 administrators wrote. "The District believes that we have jurisdiction of this leased property, which is part of our campus."
At one of the lunches, Williams, who is also one of the organizers of the event, gave the school officials a letter from the City of Middleton and a lease agreement to use the park.
"Case law is very clear about that," Phillip Stamman, an attorney representing the mothers said. "The public park can be leased to another public entity, but it's a non-exclusive lease. It's not fenced off and it's still open to the public. Because of that the laws associated with the First Amendment still apply."
The principal of the school also said that some students were so unhappy with the event that they would contemplate leaving school early on the day of "Jesus Lunch."
"There are some students that when they know this day is coming, they will leave school early," Plank said. "We have some students that staff will find sitting in the hallway crying."
The police has become involved in the issue, and will remain present at all the "Jesus Lunches" to avoid any unforeseen clashes between the opponents.
"Their true motivation is clear - it's the religious speech (they object to)," said Stamman, and added that school authorities tried to take the help of local police to remove the parents from the park, but police declined to do that.
Police Chief Charles Foulke wrote on the department's Facebook page "Reasonable people differ over the interpretation of the wording of the lease. I'm not worried about reasonable people, but I am concerned about unreasonable people, people who are using this issue for their own purposes and who are beginning to threaten good people on either side of this issue. ... Please do not assume that our presence in any way indicates a preference for any side in this issue other than to preserve the peace and allow people to exercise their 1st Amendment rights. ..."
