The Moline-Coal Valley School District agreed to a permanent injunction and over $100,000 in legal fees after unlawfully blocking Good News Clubs from using elementary school facilities.
This was part of a lawsuit filed in February 2025 by the Liberty Counsel on behalf of the Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), alleging that the district denied the Good News Club “equal access” at three elementary schools — Logan, Franklin and Jane Addams.
Good News Clubs is the after-school ministry program of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), an international, interdenominational Christian nonprofit organization.
Matthew Staver is the founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel.
"The Illinois school district followed a pattern that we've seen since COVID. When the schools reopened, they began to allow clubs back on campus, but they have intentionally excluded Good News Clubs or other Christian viewpoints," Staver says.
Good News Clubs previously had access to public school facilities from 2017-2020. CEF filed the lawsuit after the district started to impose fees and restrictions on religious clubs that were not required of secular organizations like the Scouts.
According to Liberty Counsel, school officials refused to accept legal materials outlining CEF’s rights and insisted that the school was bound by Board policies, and the district ignored multiple letters from CEF seeking resolution and equal treatment.
Along with the school district, the lawsuit also named Superintendent Dr. Rachel Savage and the district's Board of Education as defendants.
Staver says the settlement holds the district accountable.
"We warned the school district. They didn't listen, so we filed suit. As a result, now we have a permanent injunction against the school district, and the school now has to pay over $100,000 for their unconstitutional actions," Staver states.
Staver emphasizes that keeping the doors open for post-school ministry offers critical outreach to young students and their families.
"It's basically taking church to the school because these kids will never come to your church. So, let's take the gospel to them where they are. They have an amazing opportunity to change an entire generation," Staver says.
The consent decree ensures equal access and timely approval for all future facility requests across the district.
The Moline-Coal Valley news comes on the heels of another victory for religious liberty in public schools.
Recently, the school board for Everett Public School District voted to approve a final settlement agreement with LifeWise Academy, the K-12 Bible ministry that teaches students off campus.
Located in Washington, northeast of Seattle, Everett public schools oversees approximately 20,000 students, most of them in elementary schools, in Shohomish County.
The school board vote came after Judge Lauren King granted an injunction in April that favored most claims brought by LifeWise Academy, which organizes "release time" instruction for public school students. Among the group's complaints was what it saw as unlawful discrimination by school officials.
The two sides reached a settlement requiring a public apology from the school district as well as policy changes; religious-liberty training for school board members; and $275,000 in attorney's fees.
