Maryland School Officials Threaten Seventh Grader with Disciplinary Action for Reading Bible During Lunch Time

Here is a prime example of how the philosphy of “seperation of church and state” being overzealously pushed has confused many school officials into violating student’s Constitutional Rights. The Rutherford Institute will be defending this student’s rights. Somehow it slipped under the ACLU’s radar.

Rutherford Institute:

Attorneys for The Rutherford Institute have filed a civil rights lawsuit in defense of the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights of a seventh grader who was ordered by Maryland middle school officials to stop reading her Bible during free time at school or face disciplinary action.

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On September 14, 2006, seventh-grader Amber Mangum was approached by the Vice Principal at Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School in Prince George’s County, Md., while reading a Bible in the school cafeteria during her lunch period. In keeping with school policy, students are allowed to read books or engage in interpersonal communications during non-instructional time at school, including lunch periods.  Furthermore, published administrative procedure of the Prince George’s County Public Schools provides that “[s]tudents may read their Bibles or other scriptures, say grace before meals, and pray before tests to the same extent they may engage in comparable, non-disruptive activities.”