FORT MYERS, FL -- Lee County parents and other concerned citizens today filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the Lee County school district from teaching an unconstitutional "Bible History" course that uses the Bible as though it is a history textbook. Serving as co-counsel in the lawsuit are the Florida law firm of Steel Hector & Davis, People For the American Way and the ACLU Foundation of Florida.
"Citizens of Lee County who saw and heard the School Board's actions sincerely believe the Bible History curriculum adopted violates the First Amendment through its endorsement of a sectarian point of view and its introduction of religious exercises into the public schools," said Thomas Julin of Steel Hector & Davis, lead attorney for the plaintiffs.
"Whether Bible stories are the 'gospel truth' is a matter of faith, not literal history," said Howard Simon, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida.
"Over a decade ago, the federal courts prevented religious zealots from evangelizing public school children with the teaching of the Biblical story of creation as science," Simon added. "We expect the courts to similarly invoke constitutional principles to prevent the Bible from being used as a history text in Lee County."
"Public school officials are not allowed to use public school classrooms to promote religion and teach religious lessons," said Carole Shields, President, People For the American Way (PFAW). "But that is exactly what Lee County school board members are trying to do with this course. This class would be perfectly appropriate for Sunday school, but not for public school."
According to the complaint filed today in US District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the Lee County School Board voted in 1996 to develop and offer a two-semester Bible history course. An announcement specified that the course would feature "use of the Bible as a historical document."
The board later adopted an Old Testament Bible history curriculum developed by a local school district committee and a New Testament curriculum created by a private Religious Right-affiliated group known as the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools, of Greensboro, North Carolina, which has the stated purpose of persuading public school boards throughout the United States to offer high school classes "to study the Bible as a foundation document of society and the blueprint for our Constitution."
The school board adopted the curricula in part against the advice and constitutional objections of its own superintendent, attorney and outside counsel. This case is believed to be the first in the country challenging use of the National Council's Bible curriculum in public schools.
The ACLU of Mississippi and PFAW recently successfully sued local school officials in Mississippi on behalf of plaintiff Lisa Herdahl to stop a similar Bible history course that was being taught in a Mississippi school district.
The Lee County lawsuit is expected to pit the two civil liberties groups against the Pat Robertson-supported American Center for Law and Justice, which has offered its services to the Lee County School Board.