Equal access means equal treatment. A noncurriculum related club is a club that is not directly related to a class taught on campus. For example, a curriculum-related club may include the French Club if French is taught on campus. However, noncurriculum related clubs include Students Against Drunk Driving, Photography Club, Chess Club, or any other special interest or social clubs. In Emily's case, the Vegetarian Club, the Photography Club, the Chess Club, and a host of other clubs are allowed the same access and privileges that are denied to the FCA Club.
Equal access is important for students and for Bible clubs.
Students are able to share with one another, fellowship, sing, pray, and study the Bible. Treating the clubs equally will allow more students to attend the Bible clubs. For example, in one school district, the school allowed the secular clubs to meet during the school hours at a specified time but relegated the Bible clubs to before or after school. The Bible clubs were very small because students could not either come early or stay late. After contacting the school and convincing the authorities that they were violating federal and constitutional law, the school began treating the clubs equally and allowed the Christian clubs to meet at the same time as the secular clubs.