Stop BSA Recruitment in Public Schools
Below is a letter that can be easily sent to public school district offices and directly to elementary schools located in the area in which concerned readers of this newsletter reside. Public schools are supported by tax dollars. Citizens, therefore, have every right to voice opinions and concerns.
The letter below was written to demand that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) not be allowed to conduct recruitment drives through the public school district. If you agree with the wording and the purpose, please copy the letter below, add your signature, and mail the letter below to the superintendent of your school district. Also, please make copies of your letter to send to as many elementary school principals as possible, and send us a copy listing the schools you have contacted.
The BSA recruitment drive takes place in mid-September every year, so immediate action is imperative. Please help the Freethought Society’s Anti-Discrimination Support Network (ADSN) outreach to school superintendents and elementary school principals across the nation. They have the power to prevent children from being harmed. When a child from an nontheist and/or gay family and/or is physically or mentally disabled expresses interest in joining BSA, they will be met with bias and bigotry.
Thank you in advance to all who participate in this outreach effort. ADSN will acknowledge all who contribute their time and energy towards this project. Please send your name, the name of the school district, the name of elementary schools contacted, and your email address to: Margaret@FtSociety.org.
Below the letter is a frameable certificate which can be presented to and signed by school officials, pledging to fight discrimination on all levels in their school/district.
SAMPLE LETTER:
(Date)
Dear Public School Official,
As in previous years, shortly after the start of the 2012/2013 school term, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) will likely request your permission for access to children who attend elementary schools in our district. BSA may request (and expect) your cooperation and assistance in distributing their literature, gaining access to classrooms, and/or permission to staff recruitment tables in order to promote their programs for youths and to recruit membership.
While BSA has a long history of offering excellent programs, BSA’s membership rules prohibit gays, people with certain disabilities, and nontheists from participation in the organization as either members and/or volunteers. The diversity of religious faith, sexual orientation, and physical abilities among public school students and staff almost certainly guarantees that some will be victims of discrimination by BSA.
BSA has been, for many years now, a private organization. Its status was confirmed in the year 2000 by a United States Supreme Court ruling known as Dale v Boy Scouts of America. Just this year, BSA reaffirmed their commitment to remaining a private organization. As is the legal right of all such entities, BSA has wide latitude in creating their membership rules and regulations. Unfortunately their membership policies are discriminatory and exclusionary.
A school facility should be a safe place for students and teachers, particularly in regard to discrimination. Most public schools have, in fact, adopted mission statements that promise a non-discriminatory environment. If your school does not have an anti-discrimination policy in place, I strongly urge the adoption of one as soon as possible. A sample anti-discrimination school policy is available online at the following Freethought Society link:
For many decades now, BSA’s biased membership rules and regulations have caused great harm to many children and adults. An extensive, but far from exhaustive collection of cases that clearly demonstrate this harm can be found at the following link:
https://www.ftsociety.org/2012/03/29/the-boy-scouts-of-america-legalized-discrimination/
Since BSA is a private organization, it must be treated as such, without benefit of taxpayer assistance and gratuities. In addition to the important goal of protecting children and staff from bias, discrimination, and the pain this can cause, disallowing the BSA access to our public school will help to avoid the district from becoming embroiled in possible legal actions. I want my tax dollars to be used for providing quality education — not used to defend against lawsuits resulting from discrimination.
Therefore, as a taxpayer in and resident of this school district, I am submitting this letter as formal request that BSA not be permitted access to public schools or school sponsored functions in our district.
I would very much appreciate a reply. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
__________________________________________
(Signature)
Printed name: _________________________________
Address:_____________________________________
(Street, City, State, Zip)
Phone: ______________________________________
Email: ______________________________________
CERTIFICATE TO DOWNLOAD (Click on the certificate to download a high-resolution copy suitable for printing.)
The text of the certificate is immediately below the jpg, should you wish to copy it.
ADSN School and District Pledge
Anti-Discrimination Policy & Mission Statement
The
___________________________________________________________
(Name of School)
___________________________________________________________
(District, City and State)
In accordance with Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or religion.
The School/District affirms that it will provide equality of opportunity for all students and employees by preventing discrimination, investigating all allegations of discrimination and correcting discriminatory actions if found to exist within the school.
Signed________________________________________________
Title: _________________________________________________
Date:_________________________________________________
This pledge has been recorded with the Anti-Discrimination Support Network
PO Box 242, Pocopson, PA 19366 Phone: 610-793-2737
Please don’t forget to notify us when you give this certificate to a willing signer so that we can be sure to add them to our Anti-Discrimination Database!