A bible sits on a school desk in a classroom. (plherrera / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin May 19, 2026 at 3:00am
A school in Los Angeles, California, changed course on denying equal treatment to a student Bible club after a demand letter from a legal advocacy group.
Administrators of the Arts and Entertainment Virtual Academy, which is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, had denied the “Faith and Fellowship Club” the chance to promote their organization, according to a May 1 release from Liberty Counsel.
The student-led group was barred from advertising during the school’s weekly webinar, even as other student groups were afforded that chance.
Liberty Counsel noted that the webinar had an advertisement “urging students to celebrate the Islamic holiday Ramadan.”
The demand letter from Liberty Counsel, sent on April 17 and requesting a response by April 24, contended that “this unequal treatment violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Equal Access Act.”
As a result of our demand letter, the Arts and Entertainment Virtual Academy (AEVA) in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is now providing equal treatment to a student-led Bible club.
Before the letter, the student-led “Faith and Fellowship Club” had been denied by… pic.twitter.com/WraB9Qxjox
— Liberty Counsel (@libertycounsel) May 1, 2026
“The exclusion of a slide announcing a Christian club… while Ramadan is promoted to students is suggestive of viewpoint discrimination,” the letter continued.
Liberty Counsel noted that the Arts and Entertainment Virtual Academy had not shown slides encouraging students to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas — which are federal holidays — or Christian holidays such as Easter.
The office of the general counsel for Los Angeles Unified School District responded in a letter dated April 23 that they would enable equal treatment for the Faith and Fellowship Club moving forward.
“The Faith and Fellowship Club, as the first student-led club at this school, will continue to meet, share information, and operate consistent with general rules for student-led clubs,” the document said.
Calif.’s largest school district reverses course, agrees to give Christian group equal access to promotion https://t.co/ct6bKRLKki
— The Christian Post (@ChristianPost) May 5, 2026
“The principal has agreed to allow the Faith and Fellowship Club’s proposed message to be included in Monday’s Weekly Webinar.”
Liberty Counsel Chairman Mat Staver celebrated the change of course.
“We commend the Los Angeles Unified School District for ensuring equal access for the Faith and Fellowship Club at the Arts and Entertainment Virtual Academy,” he remarked.
“The First Amendment and the Equal Access Act do not allow for excluding a Christian club in a forum where other non-curricular programs and other viewpoints are permitted.”
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the publication’s editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Pop Culture, Christian-Conservatism
