Bible Classes Subject of School Lawsuit
Pastor Dale Morgan
Bible Classes Subject of School Lawsuit*
Thursday May 17, 2007 6:01 AM
By MATT CURRY
Associated Press Writer
DALLAS (AP) - Two advocacy groups filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday
against a West Texas school district on behalf of eight parents who say
a Bible course violates their religious liberty.
The American Civil Liberties Union and People for the American Way
Foundation sued the Ector County Independent School District, asking the
Odessa school system to stop teaching the course.
``Religion is very important in my family and we are very involved in
our religious community. But the public schools are no place for
religious indoctrination that promotes certain beliefs that not all the
kids in the school share,'' Doug Hildebrand, a Presbyterian deacon who
is among the plaintiffs, said in a written statement released by the ACLU.
The Ector school board approved the high school elective in 2005. It
teaches the King James version of the sacred text using material
produced by the Greensboro, N.C.-based National Council on Bible
Curriculum in Public Schools, and uses the Bible as the students' textbook.
Backers of the National Council include David Barton, who operates a Web
site that promotes helping local officials develop policies that reflect
Biblical views and encourages Christian involvement in civic affairs.
Other supporters of the program include the conservative American Family
Association, Eagle Forum and Plano-based Liberty Legal Institute.
``There is no question that these Bible electives are constitutional,''
said Kelly Shackelford, Liberty Legal's chief counsel. ``The United
States Supreme Court has stated more than once that teaching about the
Bible is not only constitutional, but essential to a quality education.
This lawsuit is a loser.''
Critics claim the coursework contains errors, dubious research and
blatantly favors a fundamentalist, Protestant view of the Bible.
Lisa Graybill, legal director of the ACLU of Texas, said the National
Council course is ``basically a Sunday School class within the walls of
a public school.''
Mike Adkins, spokesman for the Ector Independent School District, said
previously that the district is comfortable with its curriculum.
School Superintendent Wendell Sollis said district officials are
reviewing the lawsuit with their lawyer, and declined to comment
further. ``We are not going to debate the individual points of the suit
publicly,'' he said.