The Freedom From Religion Foundation has successfully advised a Louisiana school district to bar a religious organization from handing out bibles to its students.

A concerned family member informed the state/church watchdog that on Sept. 26 of last year, Herndon Magnet School (located in Belcher, La.) permitted Gideons International to address students and distribute bibles to youngsters on school grounds during the school day. Gideons International is “an evangelical association that equips and mobilizes Christian business and professional men, along with their wives, to share God’s word, winning others for Jesus worldwide.” Herndon Magnet School’s official Facebook page stated (image above): “We were so thankful to be visited by the Gideon Ministry this morning! They spoke with our 5th graders and offered each student the opportunity to receive a Youth New Testament Bible.” (The post no longer appears on the Herndon Magnet School Facebook page.)
School-sponsored bible distributions are unconstitutional, FFRF reminded the school district.

“It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for Caddo Parish Public Schools to allow outside groups to distribute religious materials to students,” FFRF Legal Fellow Charlotte Gude wrote to Caddo Parish Public Schools Superintendent Keith S. Burton. “By allowing Gideons International to distribute bibles to students, Caddo Parish Public Schools displays blatant favoritism for religion over nonreligion and Christianity above all other faiths. Further, it appears that the school itself hosted and promoted the bible distribution. When school staff encourages young students to take bibles, they run the risk of unconstitutionally coercing students to take, read and reflect upon religious literature.”

Further, FFRF pointed out, this bible distribution and social media promotion needlessly marginalized all students and families who do not practice Christianity. As much as 38 percent of the American population is non-Christian, including the almost 30 percent who are nonreligious. More than half of Generation Z members (those born after 1996) are non-Christian, including the 43 percent who are nonreligious.

FFRF urged that to respect the constitutional rights of students and parents, Caddo Parish Public Schools must cease allowing the Gideons International and any other organizations to distribute bibles or other religious literature to students. Its call did not go unheeded.

“Please be advised that the staff at Herndon Magnet School has been advised to not allow the Gideons to distribute bibles during the school day at school,” the general counsel for the Caddo Parish School Board recently replied in an email.

FFRF is pleased that its appeal to follow the Constitution fell on receptive ears.

“Religious groups and individuals should not be given access to a captive audience of vulnerable young children,” comments FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Religious instruction belongs with parents, not strangers exploiting our public schools. We’re glad officials realized the impropriety of this when we raised concerns.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 41,000 members across the country, including more than 100 members in Louisiana. Its purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism. 

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