Atheist Group Threatens Lawsuit Over Bible Distribution

A national atheist group is reportedly threatening a lawsuit against a Georgia elementary school for allowing the distribution of Bibles.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation confirmed this week that it may file a lawsuit against Cloverleaf Elementary School in Cartersville if the school's principal and superintendent continue to allow the distribution of Bibles by Gideons International, an evangelical group.

The issue began earlier in December when a parents of a student attending Cloverleaf argued that her child was told by a teacher that Bibles would be available for pick-up by the school library.

This week, the Freedom From Religion Foundation reportedly penned a letter to Cloverleaf officials, suggesting that if the Bible distribution is allowed again, a lawsuit may follow.

"This is a captive audience of young and impressionable children," Andrew Seidel, staff attorney for FFRF, told Yahoo Parenting in an interview this week.

"If this happens again in Bartow County Schools, FFRF will not write another letter but instead file a lawsuit," the letter to the school district reads.

Cheree Dye, a spokeswoman for the Cloverleaf school system, told The Daily Tribune News that the school followed the rules of allowing Gideons International to distribute Bibles, only allowing the evangelical group to set up the Bibles in the school's media center so students may take them if they pleased without feeling pressure.

"They go into the media center, and no one was there," she said. "There was no discussion with the children. They could pick up a Bible and proceed to their special area. The ones who didn't want one go on to their special area."