As students return to Middleton High School this week so will the controversial religious event called “Jesus Lunch.” Over the summer parents and students opposed to the event — which serves free Tuesday meals to upwards of 400 students in Fireman’s Park, adjacent to the school — urged the Middleton-Cross Plains school board and the Middleton Common Council to prohibit such events during school days.
In May, the board cancelled its lease of the park, giving full regulation to the city. The council met a couple of times in closed sessions and in July, passed an ordinance prohibiting alcohol, smoking and amplified sound in the park. None of these restrictions prohibit the Jesus Lunch.
City administrator Mike Davis says, “I know of no other ordinances forthcoming.”
Kristine Burke, an attorney who is the mother of a high school and middle school student, says city officials are afraid of a lawsuit. “I think that can be seen by the fact that the city council has never addressed this issue in open session.”
Attorney Phillip Stamman, who represents Jesus Lunch Inc., has argued that the event is protected by the First Amendment.
But attorney Gary Gomez, whose son goes to the high school, counters that the group is “hiding under the First Amendment to prey on these students and proselytize to them.”
Burke says after speaking to the superintendent she found, “the perception is that the Jesus Lunch people have all kinds of money or support coming in throughout the country and they have an attorney. On its website they deny they have ever threatened to sue, but the city and school district have felt like they would if they don’t allow them to continue their lunches.”
Gomez says the school district lost legal leverage when it gave up its lease of the park. “I think the park is legally just like any other park,” he says.
Rabbi Bonnie Margulis’ child graduated from high school last year, but she continues opposing the event.
“This is very disturbing. It is a huge problem for the school and it is going to continue to be a huge problem,” Margulis says. “I think that the city has really abdicated its responsibility to the students and the parents.”
“As a member of the clergy and leader of a minority religious community I know that the Jewish students on campus have been very distressed by this situation,” adds Margulis.
Gomez says what troubles him the most is the seeming hypocrisy of the Jesus Lunch organizers.
“I have to think that they would be appalled, that they would be deeply troubled if someone were approaching their children trying to teach them some other religion, trying to indoctrinate them to believe something else in some way,” Gomez says.
Margulis echoes Gomez: “Can you imagine what would happen if a group of Muslim families took over the park and started holding Muslim services and handing out Muslim literature?”
