wfn.org | Interfaith Alliance to Urge School Officials to Ignore Court Voucher

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Ruling

For Immediate Release
June 27, 2002

Contact:  Melissa Schwartz, (202) 639-6370
	  Cell: (202) 262-5547

The Interfaith Alliance to Urge School Officials to Ignore Supreme Court
Ruling on Vouchers

WASHINGTON In a 5-4 decision today, the United States Supreme Court ruled
the Ohio law creating a private-school voucher program in Cleveland is
constitutional.  The Interfaith Alliance was disappointed by the decision,
and will reach out to its members to urge that school officials refrain from
any further implementation of voucher programs.

It is a sad day for people who value religious liberty and long for quality
education for every child in the nation.  Through a decision that weakens
the nations historic commitment to religious freedom, the Supreme Court has
encouraged the implementation of a voucher program that deflects money and
reform efforts from the urban and minority communities that need it most, in
favor of helping only a select few, said the Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy,
Executive Director of The Interfaith Alliance.  No voucher program can
address the needs of all of the children with inadequate educational
conditions; our priority should be an improvement of our public schools.

In the Courts ruling in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, the Court reversed a
decision rendered by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which had ruled
that the Cleveland program violated the First Amendment to the Constitution.
The Interfaith Alliance is urging all people of faith and goodwill to ignore
the Courts decision and to instead focus on improving the well-being of all
of our nation's schools and children.

While affirming the value of private and sectarian schools, The Interfaith
Alliance does not support any use of public financial resources for private
institutions in grades kindergarten through twelve.   The Interfaith
Alliance strongly advocates for the increased funding of public education in
order to afford less advantaged schools with the money they need to hire and
keep qualified educators, to purchase up-to-date equipment so that even the
poorest children can be exposed to technology, and to create
before-and-after school programs for children's academic benefit as well as
their safety.

Our public school system was created to offer a level playing field to all
children, regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic background, added
Gaddy.  At a time when the White House and Congress promise to leave no
child behind, it is astonishing to see a decision that compromises the
strength of our democracy, further erodes religious liberty and creates the
possibility of leaving many children behind.

Only with the strongest possible support for a system of quality public
education that can improve the well-being of all of our nation's children
can we rest assured that we are serving our calling as people of faith.

  ###

The Interfaith Alliance (TIA) is a non-partisan clergy-led grassroots
organization dedicated to promoting the positive and healing role of
religion in the life of the nation and challenging those who manipulate
religion to promote a narrow, divisive agenda.

Melissa Schwartz
Media Relations Director
The Interfaith Alliance
1012 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 639-6370,  ext. 103
www.interfaithalliance.org

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.363 / Virus Database: 201 - Release Date: 5/21/02