Pawtucket, Rhode Island is the site of a new lawsuit, profiled this weekend as a church-state dispute by the Washington Post, over the issue of public aid to private and religious schools. Here, the story is not tuition vouchers but the use of public land. Plaintiffs contend the city has improperly allowed local Catholic schools extensive practice time on athletic fields owned and maintained by taxpayers, at the expense of appropriate practice facilities for public school students.
"Government should not give special benefits to religious organizations over secular organizations, and we believe that that is precisely what has happened here," said Steven Brown, executive director of the ACLU's Rhode Island affiliate.
Saint Raphael is a prestigious presence in Pawtucket, producing alumni including the city's mayor, the parks and recreation superintendent – who awards field permits – and the state attorney general.
For decades, the city has let Saint Raphael use public fields since the school doesn't have its own.
The school contends it doesn't receive special treatment, saying the families of more than half its student athletes are city taxpayers. Pawtucket public works director Jack Carney said permits for the fields are allocated based on their condition, proximity to the school and team schedules – and that all teams have a place to play.
You can read the complaint (pdf) here. ACLU-RI's press release is here.
