US court rules against American Jewish Congress

An appeals court in the United States has found against the American Jewish Congress (AJC) in its lawsuit against the AmeriCorps program. Reversing a lower court ruling, the court ruled that AmeriCorps’ offering of grants for the teaching of secular programs by grantees that also offer religious education does not violate the American constitution. The AJC, concerned that programs like AmeriCorps would have “discretionary religious preference” in choosing who could receive grants and how they would be used, brought the case. Marc Stern, AJC's general counsel, said he was not surprised by the ruling and would consider taking the case to the Supreme Court. The Orthodox Union praised the court’s decision, saying it favored governmental neutrality toward religion, rather than discrimination.