Grossmont Schools Chief Rebuffs Demand, Will Attend Event at Sonrise Church in Santee

La Mesa Patch (2011-02-15) Kenneth Stone

This Page: https://copswiki.org/Common/M1142
Media Link: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/grossmont-schools-chief-rebuffs-demands-will-attend-sonrise-church-event
More Info: Church State Separation, Grossmont Union High School District

Grossmont Schools Chief Rebuffs Demand, Will Attend Event at Sonrise Church in Santee

District calls Santee church a fixture in the community that is “regularly used as a free meeting facility by community groups every day of the week.”

Grossmont schools Superintendent Ralf Swenson “fully supports” Tuesday night’s meeting at Sonrise Community Church in Santee, rebuffing demands by public-agency watchdog Ray Lutz to cancel the health-information session, the district says.

“The free, nonmandatory parent and student event hosted by the GUHSD Parent Involvement Committee and the Southern California Juvenile Officers Association will continue as scheduled this evening,” said Catherine Martin, spokeswoman for the Grossmont Union High School District.

Swenson will attend the event as well, Martin said.

She said the district’s Parent Involvement Committee regularly hosts forums for parents and students, rotating sites throughout the district.

“In order for regularly scheduled student sports and drama programs to flourish, from time to time, we use outside venues so as not to disrupt student activities,” Martin said in response to a La Mesa Patch query.

She called Sonrise a fixture in the Santee community that is “regularly used as a free meeting facility by community groups every day of the week.”

In a letter to Swenson sent Tuesday afternoon, Lutz of the Citizens' Oversight Projects wrote:

Our nation has a history of respecting the doctrine of the separation of church and state. For this reason, COPs objects to this meeting, sponsored and promoted by the GUHSD being held in this religious venue. I request that the GUHSD discontinue sponsoring and promoting events held in churches, as this is in direct opposition to the notion of the separation of our secular state and religious institutions.

Lutz also worried that “GUHSD has a history of infiltration by religious activists and this is just one more example of a trend that must stop. I am disheartened to see that you, as the new superintendent, have started to cater to this viewpoint and agenda.”