Brad Dacus, president of PJI, has sent a letter warning the school district that it is "violating the First Amendment by removing library books based on their perceived Christian content." PJI says they will sue if the schools do not cease their "ill-conceived and illegal book-banning policy.”
“It is alarming that a school library would attempt to purge books from religious authors. This is a major sweep by this charter school to eliminate the religious viewpoint. Libraries cannot engage in an open purging of books simply because they are of a Christian perspective.”Responding to the threat, Springs Charter Schools Superintendent Kathleen Hermsmeyer informed lawyers for PJI that she was attempting to bring the school district into compliance with state law, writing:
“We do not purchase sectarian educational materials and do not allow sectarian materials on our state-authorized lending shelves.”Pressing their point, the Pacific Justice Institute cited a 1982 Supreme Court ruling that says local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books, or seek to remove books to "prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion.”
Ms. Hermsmeyer responded to the charge, denying the schools were discriminating against Christian authors or publishing companies, saying all religious material was being removed, no matter the source, writing:
“At no time, however, have we discriminated against Christian authors or publishing companies who create secular educational materials. We are a public school, and as such, we are barred by law from purchasing sectarian curriculum materials with state funds. We only keep on our shelves the books that we are authorized to purchase with public funds.”California's Springs Charter Schools Purge 'Christian' Books From School Libraries - The New Civil Rights Movement
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