IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 25 

Calling on the Board of Directors of the National High School Mock Trial 

Championship to accommodate students of all religious faiths. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 4, 2007 

Mr. ROTHMAN (for himself and Mr. RAMSTAD), submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

RESOLUTION 

Calling on the Board of Directors of the National High 

School Mock Trial Championship to accommodate students of all religious faiths. 

Whereas religious intolerance and discrimination continue to 

be the root causes of many of the conflicts around the 

world; 

Whereas the United States of America was founded by those 

seeking to practice their religion freely, and the American 

justice system, including all legal professionals involved, 

should be working to uphold this principle; 

Whereas the First Amendment to the Constitution states that 

‘‘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 


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•HRES 25 IH 

right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition 

the Government for a redress of grievances’’; 

Whereas section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution states, ‘‘All persons born or naturalized in the 

United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are 

citizens of the United States and of the State wherein 

they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law 

which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive 

any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction 

the equal protection of the laws.’’; 

Whereas the National High School Mock Trial Championship 

has been, until this date, a prestigious event that requires 

a tremendous amount of preparation, skill, and dedication on behalf of those students who are competing, and 

is looked upon with distinction by institutions of higher 

learning; 

Whereas the National High School Mock Trial Championship 

is a program based on constitutional law; 

Whereas the sponsor of the 2005 competition stated that, 

‘‘The National High School Mock Trial Championship is 

a participatory program that engages students, legal professionals and the educational community to advance the 

understanding of the American justice system and the 

important role of lawyers. A well-educated public translates into a more engaged citizenry that is better 

equipped and more interested in fulfilling their civic responsibilities’’; 

Whereas the National High School Mock Trial Championship 

espouses the goals of heightening ‘‘appreciation of the 


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principle of equal justice for all’’ and promoting the ‘‘exchange of ideas among students from throughout the 

United States’’; 

Whereas the usual National High School Mock Trial Championship schedule consists of two rounds on Friday and 

two rounds on Saturday, followed by a Championship 

round on Saturday; 

Whereas the Torah Academy of Bergen County of Teaneck, 

New Jersey, won the 2005 New Jersey State Bar Foundation High School tournament, and was eligible to compete in the National High School Mock Trial Championship; 

Whereas the members of the mock trial team from Torah 

Academy observe the Sabbath, in accordance with their 

practice of Orthodox Judaism, and would not have been 

able to participate in any National High School Mock 

Trial Championship competitions from sundown on Friday through sundown on Saturday without certain accommodations; 

Whereas satisfactory accommodations were made to allow 

Torah Academy of Teaneck, New Jersey, to compete during the last National High School Mock Trial Championship held in Charlotte, North Carolina, from May 5–7, 

2005, without violating the religious practices of the students; 

Whereas a review of the post-host report compiled after the 

2005 Championship showed a majority of the comments 

supported the accommodations made for the Torah Academy students and the benefit of competing with the 

Torah Academy students; 


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Whereas one respondent replied, ‘‘the compromise demonstrated fairness, tolerance and problem-solving, all values that I try to encourage in my students’’; 

Whereas the Board of Directors of the National High School 

Mock Trial Championship voted on October 15, 2005, to 

refuse any future accommodations for students who observe Sabbath on Friday and/or Saturday; 

Whereas students who have otherwise met all of the criteria 

to participate in the qualifying competitions leading to 

the National High School Mock Trial Championship 

should be able to compete regardless of their religious affiliation; 

Whereas the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey State Bar 

Foundation unanimously voted at its October 27, 2005, 

meeting that New Jersey will not compete in the National High School Mock Trial Championship unless the 

National Board establishes a policy permitting accommodation for religious observance; 

Whereas on January 6, 2006, the North Carolina Academy 

of Trial Lawyers also officially withdrew from participating in the National High School Mock Trial Championship because the National Board would not make 

changes to the competition’s schedule to accommodate 

students with religious restrictions; 

Whereas the decision of the Board of Directors of the National High School Mock Trial Championship to refuse 

any future accommodations for students who observe 

their Sabbath on Friday and/or Saturday adversely and 

wrongly impacts observant Jewish, Muslim, and SeventhDay Adventist students; 


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Whereas the decision made by the Board of Directors of the 

National High School Mock Trial Championship is inconsistent with the spirit of freedom of religion or equal protection; and 

Whereas all students should be allowed to both compete fully 

in the National High School Mock Trial Championship 

and uphold the practice of their religion: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) calls on the Board of Directors of the Na3 tional High School Mock Trial Championship to ac4 commodate the religious beliefs of students partici5 pating in the competition; and 

6 (2) urges the Board of Directors of the Na7 tional High School Mock Trial Championship to re8 structure the rules of the competition to allow quali9 fying students of all faiths to compete fully in this 

10 national championship without betraying their reli11 gious beliefs. 

Æ 


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