Christian society in Canada files lawsuit against school district over censorship of biblical references

A Christian society in Canada has filed a lawsuit against a school district, claiming that the society's school was punished over the inclusion of biblical references in its school material.

A motion was filed on behalf of the Cornerstone Christian Society of Camrose after the Battle River School Division (BRSD) had terminated its contract with the Cornerstone Christian Academy earlier this year.

The BRSD said that it would stop operating the academy on June 30, 2018 over the inclusion of the biblical passage 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 on a revised academy "vision and purpose" document.

The passage states: "Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

The school district had asked the academy to remove the verses and scrub religious teachings that could be deemed offensive. Cornerstone initially refused, but it eventually agreed to remove the verses from the document in early June.

At the time, Laurie Skori, then chair of BRSD Board of Trustees, expressed disappointment with how the academy went public with the district's request that the verses be removed, saying the issue had been turned into a "public spectacle." She also denied that the district was trying to censor religious teachings.

Despite Cornerstone's decision to remove the passage, the BRSD still terminated the school's contract on June 29.

"BRSD was not satisfied with the removal of the Verses. Ms. Skori wrote the same day in response to require Cornerstone to make a further concession: that it would not use any Scripture that 'could be considered inappropriate,'" the lawsuit stated.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom (JCCF), which filed the motion on behalf of the Christian society, stated in a press release on Wednesday that the school district "acted out of anti-religious prejudice and ideological discrimination, and lost sight of the best interests of the children" by deciding to terminate its contract with the school.

In June, the district issued a statement saying, the decision was not "reached lightly," adding that the board expressed its willingness to renegotiate and "start fresh" in rebuilding a working relationship with the academy and society.

According to Edmonton Journal, the academy, located in the hamlet of Kingman, operated as a private institution until 2009, when it joined the school division as a Christian alternative program.

The court application indicated that the case will be heard on April 17 at a court in Wetaskiwin. The academy is seeking a stay on the termination of the contract.