Parents' Lawsuit Seeks To End Bible Classes In West Virginia Public Schools

Parents from a school district in Mercer County in West Virginia are seeking to end bible classes in public schools. The moms and dads are lobbying for the separation of church and state and calling a stop to the education program "Bible in the Schools."

CBS reports the program has been existence in West Virginia public schools for almost 80 years and it has been maintained through private funding. It's popular and familiar to the members of the community but some parents now think there's no legal basis to keep the program.

Some 96 percent of students from 19 elementary schools in Mercer County are currently taking the class, which is supposed to be a voluntary program. The district, however, has no other alternatives for the Bible classes hence the majority of students are taking it.

One student, however, said that she has a classmate who goes to the Bible class but she doesn't exactly listen to the lessons. "[She] plays on the computer, because she can't hear what the Bible says," Teagan told CBS. "Her dad just doesn't want her to hear all the Bible stuff."

According to Salon, the lawsuit was initiated by Freedom From Religion Foundation along with some parents. The organization wants the indoctrination to stop, given that some kids believe it's bad not to attend Bible classes when they shouldn't be made to think this way.

There are parents who feel that the kids are being coerced. Not all West Virginia families raise their children with religious beliefs based on the Bible.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation also cites that the Bible class is a violation of the First Amendment rights. "Forcing Jane Doe to choose between putting her child in a bible study class or subjecting her child to the risk of ostracism by opting out of the program violates (their) rights of conscience...and therefore their First Amendment rights," the lawsuit stated. The school board is expected to give their response to the lawsuit in a few weeks.