School Meeting on ‘Equal Access’ Draws Big Names

“When have you seen two representatives from Congress coming to a school board meeting?” asked one of the many witnesses testifying Thursday night at the meeting of the Anaheim Union High School District Board of Trustees.

So highly charged an issue is the federal “equal access law” in Anaheim that the board’s meeting did indeed draw Reps. Robert K. Dornan (R-Buena Park) and William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton), both of whom spoke in favor of the school district’s implementing the controversial new law. More than two dozen people testified long into the night before the board as it weighed whether to open up school facilities to religious groups and other non-curriculum-related clubs and organizations.

Several other legislators, including Assemblywoman Doris Allen (R-Cypress) and Assemblyman John Lewis (R-Orange) sent aides to read testimony at the hearing. Dornan also read a message on the subject from U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.).

The “equal access” law, passed last summer by Congress and signed by President Reagan, requires all schools receiving any federal money to make their facilities available for religious organizations if such facilities are made available to any other non-curriculum-related club or group.

The new law prompted controversy in south Orange County earlier this year. After much debate, Saddleback Valley and Capistrano unified school districts both decided to deny access to all non-academic groups.

The Anaheim district’s board voted in January to implement the law and thus allow religious groups to meet on campuses in the district. But a few months later the board rescinded its decision, prompting protests from Bible study clubs in several Anaheim high schools.

Dornan testified Thursday night that he was at the meeting because the students had appealed to him.

“I have picked up a fear of religion by some of the school board members in Anaheim, and that’s sad,” he said. He said he was concerned that school boards across the country were taking steps to restrict religious expression, including the use of the name of Christ.

“When this country is afraid of Christ or Jesus in any form, this civilization is in trouble,” he said.

Dannemeyer, in his testimony, said the Bible is “the foundation of our civilization,” and he urged that the board do whatever possible to encourage Bible study on campuses.

Praising the “equal access” law, Dannemeyer said its passage was a significant victory for backers of prayer in public schools over House Speaker Thomas P. (Tip) O’Neill (D-Mass.).

Some Spoke in Opposition

The large majority of those testifying at the meeting spoke in favor of allowing the religious groups to have access to school facilities.

Among the few who spoke against the board’s implementation of “equal access” was Ellen Pace of Los Angeles, assistant director of the American Jewish Congress, and the Rev. Robert Shepard, senior minister of the Anaheim United Methodist Church.

Both told the school board that students have access to religious facilities off-campus.