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Students ask Lockport Twp HSD 205 board to give Fellowship of Christian Athletes equal access
Summary
Two student leaders told the board the Fellowship of Christian Athletes is not being treated like other extracurricular groups — citing removed flyers, no website presence and being barred from the homecoming parade — and asked for steps to become an official club under board policy 7.33.
Josephine Olsen and Abigail Michalski, student leaders of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Lockport Township High School, told the school board they believe FCA is not receiving the same treatment afforded other non-curricular student groups.
"I'm here to speak because I feel that our group is not receiving the same treatment as other groups at Lockport," Josephine Olsen said during the public-comment period, noting the board’s equal-access policy (section 7.33) that governs non-curriculum-related student organizations. Abigail Michalski added specific examples: she said FCA is not listed on the district website or promoted through the district PR channels, that FCA fliers were removed from the teacher workroom while other clubs’ materials were left, and that FCA was denied participation in the homecoming parade despite another newly formed club walking last year.
Both students asked the board for guidance on the steps needed for FCA to become an official club and to receive "substantially the same treatment" the district’s policy promises. The board did not take immediate action during public comment; administration and board members indicated the matter would be followed up through the appropriate student activities and policy channels.
The students cited board policy language and compared practices they observed at nearby districts where FCA is listed and promoted on school websites and newsletters. There was no immediate administrative denial or acceptance recorded during the meeting; the board asked staff to handle public-comment follow-up and to provide clarification to the students about the recognition process.
