Virginia sheriff removes Bible decals from patrol cars following complaints

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office has agreed to remove Bible verse decals that have adorned its police vehicles since March after receiving a complaint from an atheist group.

Sheriff Hank Partin said in a statement on Thursday that the decals bearing the words, "Blessed are the peacemakers...Matthew 5:9," will be immediately taken off the patrol cars due to criticisms from secular groups.

According to the Roanoke Times, the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) and the Virginia branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) complained about the markings, saying it is an unacceptable breach of the separation of church and state enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

"A Bible verse ... is a sectarian and exclusively religious statement," said FRFF attorney Sam Grover. "Under the Establishment Clause, the sheriff's office, as a government entity, must remain neutral. It cannot promote one religion over another, or religion over non-religion," he added.

Capt. Brian Wright, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, said that the decals were donated by the company that designs graphics to the county Sheriff's Office.

"We believe it's a great way to honor our brothers and sisters in law enforcement during a time when many seek to tear them down," he said.

Chris Tuck, the chairman of the Montgomery County supervisors, said on Wednesday that he thought Partin's motives to put up the decals was good, but he noted that the biblical verse could cause legal problems.

"I appreciate the sentiment and the meaning of that verse," Tuck said. "But there is a separation of church and state and I feel that putting biblical verses on public vehicles violates the First Amendment," he added.

He further noted that the board was not consulted about the decals, and there was no money appropriated for attaching the markings on police vehicles.

Tuck told Fox News commentator Todd Starnes that the board made the decision to remove the decals after first consulting with an attorney. He argued that the county could be forced to pay the ACLU hundreds of thousand of dollars in legal fees if the board ignored the attorney's advice.

A similar marking was removed from police vehicles in Houston County, Alabama in 2015 after complaints from the FFRF and another group.

Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza was not ordered to remove the decals, but a recommendation was made to him after he received two letters from the Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The organization reportedly threatened to sue if the decals were not removed from the patrol cars.