News Release
For Immediate Release: 1.10.25
Contact: John Manning, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453
Court Asked to Uphold School Board Member’s Constitutional Right to Quote Bible Verses During Meetings
School District seeks to bar Board President Heather Rooks from quoting scripture during open comment section of the meetings after threats from outside organizations.
Phoenix, AZ—Attorneys for First Liberty Institute and the law firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP today urged the U.S. District Court of Arizona to uphold Peoria Unified School District School Board President Heather Rooks’ right to recite scripture during the meetings.
“Citing a quotation from any text, be it sacred or secular, for the purpose of encouragement or inspiration is completely protected under the Free Speech Clause of the U.S. Constitution,” said Erin Smith, attorney for First Liberty Institute. “That conclusion is compelled by Supreme Court precedent and confirmed by history and tradition.”
“Our Nation’s public officials have quoted scripture in performing their duties from the Founding through today,” said Matt Scorcio, attorney for Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP. “Heather Rooks’ practice of opening her Board comments time with a brief quotation of scripture fits comfortably within that tradition, so it can’t as a matter of law give rise to an Establishment Clause violation.”
Ms. Rooks began her term as an elected member of the Peoria School Board member in January 2023. Her school board colleagues elected her board president yesterday, on the eve of today’s hearing. During each Peoria School Board meeting, the agenda includes a brief “Board comments” period where individual board members may offer remarks of their own choosing. Since the beginning of her public service on the board, Ms. Rooks opened her comments by quoting a short scripture from the Bible. The Peoria School Board subsequently received letters from anti-religious organizations demanding it stop Ms. Rooks from reading scripture. The previous school board president instructed Ms. Rooks to stop quoting scripture during meeting time specifically set aside for board members to comment on any topic of their choosing.
In the motion filed with the court, attorneys argue that, “Far from being compelled by the Establishment Clause, the District’s actions in this case violate Rooks’ own rights of religious freedom and speech under state and federal law. As the Supreme Court put it recently in the landmark case of Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, a ‘government entity’s concerns about phantom constitutional violations’ never ‘justify actual violations of an individual’s First Amendment rights.’ The Court should grant summary judgment to Rooks, award her nominal damages, and grant her declaratory relief.”
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About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact John Manning at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.
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