Gideon Bible Case Briefed at Appeals Court

Liberty Counsel filed its Initial Brief with the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in defense of an equal access policy of the South Iron School District that permits the Gideons to distribute Bibles in the same manner other non-religious organizations are permitted to distribute secular literature. Liberty Counsel represents the District.

In September 2006, the ACLU sued the District to stop the Gideons from providing Bibles for public school students. Federal district Judge Catherine Perry issued an order prohibiting the distribution of any Bible, which she described as an "instrument of religion."

Although the District has an equal access policy that treats the distribution of secular and religious literature outside of class on an equal basis, Judge Perry also ruled the District's open access policy unconstitutional.

The distribution of Bibles or religious literature is treated the same as secular literature under the policy, but Judge Perry ruled that religious literature, particularly the Bible, may not be treated the same.

TeenPact Judicial Program

Liberty University School of Law and Liberty Counsel are hosting the 2008 TeenPact Judicial ("TPJ") program this week. TeenPact is an organization that allows students to learn the principles of law from those who know them best – practitioners and professors of law. This is the eleventh year TPJ has presented its judicial program at a national law school. This is the first time Liberty University School of Law and Liberty Counsel have hosted this program.

The program director for TeenPact, describes the week-long conference as "a hands-on, on-site program that teaches high-school students about law and the judicial system from a distinctly Biblical worldview. Throughout the week students participate in presentations from expert professors at Liberty University School of Law and some of the nation’s most experienced religious liberty attorneys from Liberty Counsel as they prepare oral arguments for a moot court tournament at the end of the week."

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