'Jesus Lunch' causes disagreement between Wisconsin school disctrict officials and parents

Many students at the Middleton-Cross Plains School District in Wisconsin are treated to free lunch every Tuesday, but the school officials are asking the parents who host the event to cease the weekly luncheon.

Nicknamed "Jesus Lunch," the luncheon not only provides free food to hundreds of students, it also leads them to Christian worship. Speaking to Christian Post, Beth Williams, one of the organizers, said they created the event so parents could spend lunch with their children as well as have a few minutes talking about the Bible.

"I can tell you that there is an excitement from the students. Many have said that it is a highlight of their week. Our numbers fluctuate weekly, but we have had up to 475 students attend on any given week," she said. "The school officials have not really been very interested in finding out about the content of the Jesus Lunch. Since we are off school grounds, it does not really apply to school guidelines."

The school begs to disagree. High school principal Steve Plank and district administrator Don Johnson said that Fireman's Park, the place adjacent to Middleton High School where the lunches are held, is leased by the city, which makes it part of the school campus, thereby subject to the school's rules. The parents, they contend, are not meeting expectations on policies.

"The school district's concerns related to this event come down to policy expectations that MCPASD maintains — policies in place to ensure student safety, health and welfare," says the letter sent to parents on Tuesday. "The policies in question include food handling, visitors to campus, and expectations around student organized events. We are in no way interested in opposing religious practice in otherwise legal circumstances."

Johnson said, as reported by Channel 3000, that they believe that religious and political events have no place in their campus unless it's sponsored by a student group, follows school regulations, and is approved. The school also finds that not all students are happy or comfortable with the religious event.

"There are some students that when they know this day is coming, they will leave school early," Plank said. "(We) have some students that staff will find sitting in the hallway crying."

The school is reportedly looking for an amicable solution to the matter.