In a shocking move, the Urbandale Community School District in Iowa has severed ties with its character coach program and expelled the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) from providing adult mentors to student athletes.

For generations, FCA has been a pillar of support for athletes in the district, offering guidance and mentorship under the guise of character coaches rather than chaplains.

However, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has launched a crusade against these character coaches, alleging violations of the Equal Access Act by allowing religious organizations to recruit within schools.

FFRF’s Legal Fellow, Sammi Lawrence, asserted, “Schools cannot constitutionally allow religious organizations to treat schools as a recruiting ground for their religious mission.”

The state/church watchdog received a report that an adult representative of the Central Iowa chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes had been inappropriately involved in Urbandale High School’s basketball program. The adult representative served as a “character coach” for the boys’ basketball program at the high school, which was confirmed by a post from the local fellowship chapter on social media. On Jan. 7, members of the team met with the representative for a “pregame chapel.” The representative did not appear to be employed by the school district in any capacity. -Freedom From Religion Foundation

Expanding their assault, FFRF claims that FCA’s involvement on school premises violates constitutional principles.

Responding to FFRF’s pressure, the school district’s attorney issued a stern directive, ensuring that no adults will be permitted to engage in prayer alongside basketball players. The district vowed to restrict prayer events to solely student-led or initiated activities, barring any participation from district employees.

Furthermore, the district explicitly prohibited the representation of FCA’s Central Iowa fellowship chapter as “character coaches” for Urbandale’s basketball program or any other district initiatives, including social media presence.

This crackdown on FCA’s involvement underscores the relentless assault on religious freedoms and values within educational institutions, as atheistic organizations seek to purge any semblance of faith-based support from schools.