Christian group is ‘luring’ students with free pizza at lunch, Clovis parents say

Some Clovis parents say a Christian group is trying to indoctrinate their children during lunchtime, lured to pray and talk about Jesus Christ by being offered free pizza.

Three parents with children attending Reyburn Intermediate and Clovis East High schools said their children were offered free pizza to go to the lecture hall in groups of three to five during their lunch period. Upon arrival, parents said a representative from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes meets with students. After praying and hearing about Christianity, parents said students then receive their free pizza in yellow boxes.

“I feel that they’re doing wrong,” one parent with a student at Clovis East told The Fresno Bee. “They’re basically luring in kids that are under 18, that are still trying to find themselves and are still trying to explore.”

The parents who spoke to The Bee asked to remain anonymous, fearing retaliation against them or their children. They also said they were not notified via email, text, permission slip or asked for their consent for the FCA to approach their children.

“Back in my days when I was a high school student, to join any kind of club I needed my parents to sign a permission slip for me to attend,” one Clovis East parent said. “I am upset that they actually do have that kind of club there without parents’ consent.”

Some parents also pointed out that they do not practice Christianity at home, but they are religious and believe in different doctrines. They questioned if their children’s school allows other religions to conduct their activities on school grounds, and wondered why their underage children were being exposed to a religion they don’t practice at home in this manner.

Another parent, who has a student at Reyburn Intermediate, said their child learned about the free pizza at the lecture hall through the morning’s school-wide announcements. The parent said the child recalled an adult — not a student — leading an opening prayer and then talking about accepting God, repenting their sins and the relationship between Jesus and athletes. This parent also said their child wasn’t allowed to use their phone during the session.

“They’re using pizza as a way to get children in,” one of the parents said.

Clovis Unified’s spokesperson Kelly Avants said the FCA can meet with students during school hours through its affiliated student-led club on campus. She said that there are 40-plus student clubs at Clovis East, including the fishing, gay-straight alliance and Sikh clubs. Avants said the FCA is operating in accordance with the district’s student clubs policies.

All Clovis Unified clubs must have faculty advisors, she said, who are responsible for supervising students and observing that school rules are followed. Faculty advisors can also request information about club activities be added to school announcements.

These announcements include information about club field trips and meetings. If club meetings are scheduled during lunch time, Avants said some information about if/what food would be provided can also be shared so students know if they need to get lunch before going to a club’s meeting.

Avants also said any student club can arrange guest speakers on topics that pertain to the purpose of the club, and these guests are vetted by faculty advisors to ensure school rules and procedures are followed.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is among the non-district groups that petitioned to reserve Clovis Unified School District facilities during the 2023-2024 school year. In September, the district’s board voted to cancel all reservations from outside groups — including the FCA — because too many were crowding out regular student activities during school days, the district said.

This board decision came after a Clovis parent — who is also an LGBTQ+ community advocate — said his petition to host an inclusive reading hour after school was ignored for 11 months. He questioned the district about it’s facilities reservation practices.

The FCA is an international Christian organization focused on empowering coaches and athletes to know and grow in Christ and lead others to do the same, according to its Central California chapter’s website.

The organization asks students to conform to, affirm and embrace its Sexual Purity Statement. According to federal court files, it states:

• The appropriate place for sexual expression is in the context of a marriage relationship, according to the Bible.

• The biblical description of marriage is one man and one woman in a lifelong commitment.

• The FCA’s desire is to encourage individuals to trust in Jesus and turn away from any impure lifestyle.

Because of the FCA’s beliefs in heterosexual marriage, two members of the organization sued the San Jose Unified School District after the FCA was denied recognition under the district’s nondiscrimination policies, which forbade discrimination based on sexual orientation, according to the League of Women Voters’ report about the case.

After three years of legal procedures, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in FCA’s favor, requiring the district to recognize the group even if it would potentially exclude LGBTQ+ students.

The Bee called and emailed Ron Nelson, the FCA Central California’s multi-area director, at his contact information listed by the FCA online and did not receive a response as of Wednesday evening.

A third Clovis East parent with several children attending Reyburn and Clovis East said they understand how some families can agree with what FCA preaches, yet, they would have liked to be informed by the schools about their presence and interactions with students at lunch, just like they are notified of meetings happening on campus.

“I do believe that everybody should have a religion because when you do, I feel like you’re more in line with life, maybe with your spiritual self,” the parent said. “But I feel you still need parents’ consent for this because kids don’t understand or know what it is.”