NEW YORK (BP) — Churches can continue to worship in New York public schools, at least temporarily, despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to review a lower court decision barring worship services in schools there, Mayor Bill de Blasio said March 30.
The mayor’s pledge came within hours after the court decided, without comment, to leave in place a New York City Board of Education rule barring churches from worshipping in city schools. Even though the city has previously defended the rule set in place in Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration, de Blasio issued a statement March 30 saying he would not evict churches from schools.
The de Blasio administration “remains committed to ensuring that religious organizations are able to use space in city schools on the same terms provided to other groups,” de Blasio spokesman Wiley Norvell said. “Now that litigation has concluded, the city will develop ‘rules of the road’ that respect the rights of both religious groups and non-participants.”
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