ADL Opposes Spencer School Board’s Draft Religious Liberty Policy

Date: September 8, 2009

ADL Plains States Region has submitted a statement to the Spencer (Iowa) Community Schools Board opposing its draft religious liberty policy. Last spring, public school officials began developing a plan which would sanction student prayer at commencement, permit teachers to express their personal religious beliefs in class and allow for the introduction of two elective courses into the curriculum: "Critic of Darwinism, a scientific approach" and "The Bible in History and Literature." 

After welcoming the recent news that the school board dropped the proposed elective courses on the Bible and evolutionary theory from the policy, the ADL maintains that the plan still violates religious freedom protections of the Iowa and United States Constitutions.

“We recognize that the Spencer School Board has good intentions.  However, this proposal, as written, will not serve the board’s goal of increasing religious liberty for students.  It may put vulnerable students at risk for religious pressure, and it could subject the school district to expensive litigation.” Potash said. “If board officials decide to rewrite the policy, we hope that they will consider the ADL a resource.”