The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is protesting a South Dakota school board's decision to distribute Bibles to fifth-graders.
The Miller School District voted last week to allow evangelical Christian organization Gideons International to give New Testament Bibles to the students. The ACLU told reporters Monday that they sent the district a letter requesting a reversal of the decision, and questioning the legality of Bible distribution in public schools.
"Under the Constitution schools cannot intentionally, or unintentionally, advance religion or become too entangled with religious groups," a copy of the letter provided to the media read.
"The courts have repeatedly said that schools must also avoid favoring or appearing to favor a religious view, and they may not create any situation in which students feel coerced to participate in religion."
The civil liberties advocacy organization also told the district that it is "onto shaky constitutional ground," and may face legal opposition. The ALCU also wants the district to outline a policy on the distribution of non-educational materials in classrooms.
Miller School Board President David Fremark told reporters that he had not received the letter, and declined to comment on the matter.
The separation of church and state in South Dakota was also questioned in 2012, when bill HCR 1004 was introduced, "urging academic study of the Bible in public schools." The non-binding resolution faced controversy, but passed the House and Senate.
State Representative Steve Hickey, who is also a pastor, defended bible study in schools shortly after the bill's passing.
"I would tell those who fear this, now you know how Christians feel when they send their kids off to a public school that is overtly hostile and propagates secular humanism," he told Talking Points Memo. "The pressure from that perspective to teach secular humanism in high school and college is far, far greater than proselytizing in a Bible course."
