Good Friday Time Off At Wisconsin Tech Colleges Challenged

The Freedom From Religion Foundation charges that Wisconsin's Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC)-- and all but one of the other state technical colleges-- is violating a 1996 court order that found a state law mandating public facilities observe Good Friday to be unconstitutional. Today's Fond du Lac (WI) Reporter says that MPTC is traditionally closed on Good Friday and its collective bargaining agreement lists Good Friday as a holiday. School officials say they were unaware of the court decision until FFRF filed a complaint with them. MPTC Vice President of Human Resources Kathy Broske said that the holiday was bargained for with unions for a secular purpose, but that the school would confer with legal counsel and would change their policy if they are not in compliance with law. Officials at two other technical colleges also say they will take steps to comply with the law now that they know of the 1996 ruling.