Tennessee's Sumner County is being accused of widespread, systemic religious liberty violations in a lawsuit recently filed by the ACLU. Among the allegations are that county schools allow distribution of Bibles during the school day, and that local youth ministers have access to children during lunch. Following the filing, school officials have updated some of their policies, according to the Tennessean:
Schools will now either limit or eliminate student interaction with individuals distributing materials, such as Bibles, in order “to avoid coercion, proselytizing or the appearance of endorsement,” the policy states. School personnel must refrain from specifically promoting or announcing, to the exclusion of all other materials, the availability of another private organization’s materials.
Another policy revision spells out that visitors to schools may not approach or solicit students. Visitors present during the school day must only meet with the individuals they’re signed in to see.
The third revision says school personnel serving as club sponsors are strictly prohibited from engaging in any conduct that creates the appearance of endorsement of the organization’s or club’s messages or ideas, but must only serve in a supervisory role.
