The First Amendment of the Constitution states:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Freedom of religion is the first stated right in the Constitution. This freedom was initially put in the Constitution because the framers of the Constitution wanted to prevent government interference with religion due to the founding fathers’ experiences with religious persecution in Europe and America in 1777, as well as the desire to prevent the government from establishing a state religion. The First Amendment’s Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause prohibit the government from establishing a national religion or restricting religious practice. Today, freedom of religion can be exercised by anyone residing in the United States. Specifically. About a month ago, students at Morgan started practicing this right in room C20 as members of the new Bible Study club. 

In 2022, a high school football coach sued the school district of Bremerton, Washington, for violating his First Amendment rights. Joseph A. Kennedy, the Bremerton High School football coach, prayed at the 50-yard line immediately after every game. With a fear of potential backlash, the school district asked the coach to stop, which led to them eventually refusing to renew his contract. Kennedy sued the school district for violating his First Amendment right to freedom of religion. In a 6-3 decision, the Court ruled against the school district, saying that the coach’s conduct was protected under the First Amendment. The court concluded that the school’s efforts to prevent the prayer violated the coach’s free-exercise rights. 

As any club at Morgan does, this Bible Study had to go through many steps to be created. The first step is recognizing why exactly you want to create the club. It was simple for Seniors Nate Kinser and Edyn Ortiz, leaders of the Bible Study meetings. They shared that they wanted to create a Bible Study outside of school, but considering the circumstances, and with kids working and playing sports, it would be too difficult to meet everyone’s availability. So, they concluded that making it a morning club at school would be their best option. Ortiz described the process of creating the club as “surprisingly easy, thanks to the administration.” He emphasized that “Mr. Gerz was eager to help and serve as the club’s representative.” The next step was to talk to Ms. Hagness, Morgan’s school principal, who would then communicate with Superintendent Mrs. O’Donnell on behalf of the club. “Once she received approval, we were able to get the club up and running,” described Ortiz. Because of this process, students are protected from any hateful comments or confusion from outside sources by having validation from an administration that what they are doing is reasonable and protected under the law.

As of March 19, 2025, the club has been running every morning. Meetings are every morning at 7:10 in room C20, with an open-door policy. The club initially started as a small group of three to five people in the gym but quickly grew and was moved to room C20. They run this operation with the intent of “seeing other people grow closer to God and to help others gain more knowledge about what I feel so strongly about,” shared Kinser.

“We welcome all individuals to join, regardless of their beliefs,” said Ortiz. In each lesson, students participating read strictly from the Bible and what the Bible says. Students bring up their opinions on certain topics and discuss why they believe what they believe, however, no specific religion or teaching is forced on any student. Each student is simply there to grow closer to the God they believe in, and not to sway anyone’s decision on what to believe. 

Natalie Estabrook, a consistent club member of the Bible Study, said that she came to Bible Study on her first day with hopes of “building a better relationship with Jesus and be a part of a community that shares common interests and beliefs.” Nate Kinser, co-leader of Bible Study, decided he wanted something that would bring all Jesus’s followers together and all learn great knowledge as a group. This operation can’t run without a teacher or adult watching over, so Kinser and Ortiz asked Morgan’s gym teacher, Mr. Gersz, to oversee the club. Gersz stands nearby the classroom, in case something were to happen, but there is no input of his beliefs or opinions.

The club starts each meeting with a simple prayer followed by asking if anyone has any questions or something they would feel comfortable talking about. If nothing is to be discussed, students jump right into the passages. Ortiz shared that they “start in the book of Matthew because it is the first book of the New Testament, and it introduces us to the life, teachings, and example of Jesus. As followers of Christ, we aim to live our lives to the best of our ability by following His example and teachings, which are outlined in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.” 

Senior, a consistent member of the Bible study, Natalie Estabrook shared that she decided to come one day because she was having a hard time with school and after a conversation with Ortiz, where she was invited to come the next morning, “It helped [her] find a good group of people that [she] has things in common with.” Estabrook describes the environment of her first day as “not awkward or uncomfortable at all.” She describes everyone as “really good about answering any questions that come up and making sure we all understood what we were reading.” Estabrook is not the only new club member. Many students show up one day, leading to them becoming consistent Bible Study members; including one day of having 22 members show up to one meeting.

This being said, even though students’ rights are protected by the administration as well as the constitution, it doesn’t prevent people or communities from being upset by the actions of the club. On March 21, 2025, a post was made on All Things Clinton, the town’s public Facebook page, with a concerned parent expressing their negative opinions on the Bible Study. The post read: 

“I am concerned about what is happening in my hometown of Clinton, Connecticut, specifically at Morgan School. Instead of focusing on physical education in the gym, students are being taught Bible lessons. As a nation that values freedom of religion, I believe this is inappropriate. Shouldn’t our schools prioritize supporting kinds’ overall well-being rather than promoting a specific faith?”

Within two hours of the initial post, parents, students, and community members flooded the post with comments. Responses like “Bible classes are the best thing for the soul. I am glad to hear that someone is trying to do good,” and “You’re talking about freedom of religion, but get mad over a club where kids can study the Bible together? Make it make sense,” only caused more attraction to the post. 

Community members continued to comment, “Seems like it is an open choice,” and “It is a religious freedom of all Americans including students that allows the club to participate if they choose. If other religions would like to start a club studying the book of their choice, they would be allowed to do so.” 

Later that hour, community members who did know about the club responded and cleared the initial post author’s confusion, leading to her making one last comment saying, “I am not against Islam or the Bible; however, I believe that anything that’s enforced takes away our freedom. Every individual should have the right to choose their own beliefs and practices without coercion or obligation. I love and respect you all.” Eventually, the post was taken down, and the parents, students, and community members in support had gotten their point across.

Ortiz shared that he “wasn’t bothered by the post.” He was confused because it claimed the club was in place of, or during, gym class. Ortiz “believes the person who posted the comment had no ill intentions and was simply misinformed about the situation. In fact, [he] thinks it helped bring attention to the club and may have even led to more people at Morgan hearing about it and reaching out to join.”

Estabrook, who was not a member of the Bible Study at this time, shared that seeing this post made her realize how serious censorship has become. She explained that “Freedom of religion is very important, and we should be able to gather with common beliefs without opinions from negative outside sources, especially in a club where everyone is welcome.”

Now, the club runs without a hitch. Every morning, students bring themselves to room C20, happy to be there and grateful for the experience. Since the Facebook post, the numbers have continued to rise, with an average of 12-15 people each day. Ortiz isn’t sure if this is because of the post, but he does know that “The Lord works in mysterious ways, and it could have been a means for others who weren’t aware of the club to connect with our community.”

Kinser and Ortiz both hope to see the club continue into next year after they and many other members graduate. They want to see the number of attendees grow and eventually “fill the room,” as Kinser put it. 

For students who are interested in joining but are just looking for something to bring them there: The meetings are low-key but impactful. Each student has the option to read out loud if they feel comfortable and will always leave with a donut from Dunkin’. All you have to do is show up and have an open mind. Bibles are provided, or you can use an app on your phone. Anyone is welcome and is encouraged to show up.