The North Scott Press (Eldridge, Iowa) on Wednesday carried a long, interesting article on the impact of last summer's decision by an Illinois federal district court that government support of the Boy Scouts, to the exclusion of other groups, violates the Establishment Clause because of the religious component in scouting. In Eldridge, the charter of a Cub Scout Pack has been transfered from a public school to an American Legion group. After the decision in Winkler v. Chicago School Reform Bd. of Trustees finding an Establishment Clause problem in Pentagon funding of the Boy Scout Jamboree, scout organizations began to fear ACLU challenges to troops sponsored by governmental organizations. The problem affects troops affiliated with military bases, as well as those chartered by public schools.
There is no problem with scout groups meeting in schools, when the facilities are open to other groups as well. But, according to Ben Stone, executive director of the Iowa ACLU, "Chartering creates a special status and gives (the BSA) special treatment. Government should exercise their discretion and make the decision to not allow local taxpayer funds to be used to subsidize religious discrimination and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation."
