Calif. School District Defends Free Speech Rights Against Atheist Lawsuit

Sarah Adams Monday, January 19, 2015

Local residents line the street as the funeral procession for Marine Lance Cpl. Walter O'Haire passes in Rockland, Massachusetts May 15, 2007. O'Haire was killed May 9 while on duty in Iraq. | (Photo: Reuters/Brian Snyder)

A California school district is defending itself against claims by an atheist group that it violated the separation of church and state by allegedly reading the Bible during school board meetings.

The Chino Valley Unified School board recently voted 3-2 to seek legal counsel after it was threatened with a lawsuit by the Freedom From Religion Foundation for allegedly holding Christian-themed school board meetings.

The legal complaint filed by the Wisconsin-based atheist group alleges that school board meetings "resemble a church service more than a school board meeting, complete with Bible readings by the Board members, Bible quotations by Board members, and other statements by Board members promoting the Christian religion."

According to the local Daily Bulletin media outlet, board member Andrew Cruz voiced his dismay that the school board was being accused of violating protocol during its board meetings.

Cruz argued that it is important the leaders be able to express their faith in God.

"What is happening today, what the terrorists are doing, but what is really important is that you can't look at the direction of the terrorist, you've got to look at the direction of our leaders because what our leaders are doing is they are eroding our rights and they're also moving away from God," Cruz explained.

"It's so bizarre when you really think about it, that a century ago they had people who were promoting freedom, our rights, and now things have changed dramatically."

Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, previously told the Daily Bulletin that she thinks her group's case against the school district is "air-tight."

"I think it's an air-tight case," Gaylor said. "Until the end of the year, we've had a new complaint every day. This is unprecedented. Obviously something is very wrong with this district's understanding of separation of church and state and its role in promoting religion or not promoting it to a captive audience of small schoolchildren."