Schools need a religious partner if they want any of Gov. Kasich's student mentorship money

[rug]

By Patrick O'Donnell, The Plain Dealer
on December 12, 2014 at 12:43 PM, updated December 13, 2014 at 7:46 AM



Gov. John Kasich signs house Bill 483 this June at a ceremonial signing at Anton Grdina elementary school in Cleveland. That bill created Community Connectors, the student mentoring program that now has a requirement for religious partners. (Patrick O'Donnell/The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Gov. John Kasich's $10 million plan to bring mentors into Ohio's schools for students now has a surprise religious requirement – one that goes beyond what is spelled out in the legislation authorizing it.

Any school district that wants a piece of that state money must partner with both a church and a business – or a faith-based organization and a non-profit set up by a business to do community service.

No business and no faith-based partner means no state dollars.

"You must include a faith-based partner," United Way of Greater Cleveland President Bill Kitson, told potential applicants at an information session the United Way hosted Thursday here in Cleveland.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/12/schools_need_a_religious_partn.html

[peace13]

1. Hee hee hee....

They didn't specify what faith. This could be fun.

While this disgusts me it does not surprise me. A homeless hungry person in Ohio is going to have some string attached to that peanut butter sandwich! No free meal without Jesus.

[cbayer]

2. This is where FFRF needs to step up to the plate.

Sue them and sue them hard.

[rug]

4. This one is out of their league.

I expect the ACLU is already drafting its pleadings.

[cbayer]

5. The more the merrier. How in the world do they think this will fly?

Blind? Stupid? What?

[rug]

6. Arrogance.

This is the first I've heard of it.

[Fred Sanders]

3. Another court battle coming up resulting in another declaration of constitutional violation...why do

cons hate the constitution?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. How can that possibly be constitutional?

[rug]

8. It's got a Fourteenth Amendment problem besides the First Amendment problem.

As we noted above, "community organizations" now have a lesser standing in grant applications than faith-based ones or businesses.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. I wonder if a Muslim organization would get this deal

if they partnered with a business and a school? Or maybe the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster should take a shot at it.

[cbayer]

10. This always seems to come as a shock to the conservative christians who push through

this type of legislation.

It seems to completely slip their minds that faith based groups might include, er, other faiths.