The following report is by The Washington Times:
Heather Rooks filed the lawsuit Tuesday against the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board, asking that her actions be declared “nothing unlawful.” The district, about 32 miles northwest of Phoenix, has 42 schools and more than 36,000 students, according to its website.
Ms. Rooks’ lawsuit says she quoted Scriptures during the board comments section of public meetings, which irritated “outside activist groups [who] barraged her with complaints, grievances and threats of legal action.” The board then barred its members from quoting Scriptures during meetings.
The lawsuit accuses the district’s attorneys and superintendent of ignoring federal and state laws protecting the free exercise of religion and freedom of speech, according to a filing for Ms. Rooks by First Liberty Institute, a public interest law firm in Plano, Texas.
The filing included an email from the district’s outside counsel, Lisa Anne Smith of DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy PC, saying the reading of Bible verses at board meetings violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause and Arizona’s Open Meeting Law.
Ms. Smith’s email said such actions left the district open to lawsuits that would “incur significant legal expenses” and fines from the state attorney general if an open meeting law complaint is filed.
The Peoria Unified School District said in an email that it had not yet been formally served with the lawsuit.
The Washington Times has contacted Ms. Smith for comment.
According to Ms. Rooks’ lawsuit, the school board attorney offered advice in light of complaint letters from Secular Arizona and the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation, both of which objected to Ms. Brooks and board member Rebecca Hill quoting from the Bible.
A May 25 letter from Christopher Line, a staff attorney for the Freedom from Religion Foundation, accused Ms. Rooks of having “openly embraced Christian nationalism and invites her supporters to attend board meetings en masse, sometimes causing disruptions to the official proceedings.”
Andrew W. Gould, a senior counsel at First Liberty, said Ms. Rooks “takes her responsibilities serving the parents and students in her community seriously and quotes Bible verses as a source of courage and strength in performing those duties.”
Like so many dedicated public leaders throughout our history, Heather most certainly can use inspirational quotes from religious, historical, and philosophical sources and figures as a source of personal inspiration, as well as encouragement to the community at large.
Mr. Gould said.
Ms. Rooks said in a statement:
I am grateful to be a part of the Peoria Unified School board. As a member of the school board, I understand the weight and significance of all of our decisions, and simply find quoting scripture out loud to be encouraging to myself and to many in attendance.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
Proverbs 9:6
This a bit redundant at this point, I don’t know why people are shocked by this; as the public [d]education system that is designed to brainwash children into dumb, senile, apathetic, amoral, atheists, has been at this first for a VERY long time in all 50 states. Again, for the umpteenth millionth time, get your children out of the public school system and stay as far away as you can.
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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Proverbs 21:16
“The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.”
King James Version (KJV)
Describes America to a tee, Tara.
America has rejected the King James Bible in exchange for “easier to read” PERVersions from the Vatican, for man’s religious and self righteous traditions, church buildings built and started by Freemasons and witchcraft (including the Vatican) and as a result, America is the dung pile that it is today.