Christian club asks federal court to restore equal access for volunteer mentors at school Secular clubs allowed to have mentors while religious clubs banned

WASHINGTON – Becket filed a federal lawsuit yesterday on behalf of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), challenging a New Jersey school district’s ban on outside volunteer mentors for all religious clubs while freely allowing them at every other student club. In Fellowship of Christian Athletes v. Board of Education of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, FCA and two student-led FCA clubs at local schools are asking the court to end the district’s volunteer ban and restore equal treatment for religious clubs.

“As an inaugural member of FCA at Hopewell Valley’s Central High School, I know firsthand how much mentors mean to students,” said Carolyn McDonough, FCA New Jersey Area Director and Hopewell Valley Central High School alumna. “They helped me grow in my relationship with Jesus and live out my faith through sports. Now I have the privilege of doing the same for today’s students. I pray the court will let me continue that ministry.” 

Founded in 1954, FCA is a religious ministry that supports student-athletes committed to living out their Christian faith on and off the playing field. FCA helps form student-led clubs, called “Huddles,” on college, high school, and middle school campuses, where students gather for fellowship, prayer, Bible study, games, and the occasional pizza. In the Hopewell Valley school district, Huddles at Central High School and Timberlane Middle School met for years without incident, with FCA staff and volunteers attending as mentors, just like adult volunteers and mentors routinely attend events held by other clubs across the district.

But in March 2025, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to the school district complaining about outside volunteers attending FCA Huddles. FFRF demanded that the district investigate and prevent these volunteers from attending or participating in religious student clubs. Within days, the district caved. Before the 2025-26 school year began, it announced a new policy barring outside individuals from attending any meetings of religious clubs, claiming the law required it—yet never identifying which law supposedly did so. 

“An atheist advocacy group didn’t like that Christian kids were choosing to learn about faith, life, and sports from trusted mentors,” said Joseph Davis, senior counsel at Becket and lead attorney for FCA. “And after years of a great relationship with FCA clubs, the school district regrettably gave the advocacy group its way. Fortunately, the Constitution forbids religious discrimination. We’re confident the court will restore equal access for all student groups.”