Suit was filed this week in an Arizona federal district court by Heather Rooks, a member of the Peoria, Arizona school board, seeking a declaratory judgment to vindicate her practice of quoting Scripture during the period of each Board meeting devoted to members making their own comments. Advocacy organizations had complained about Rook's practice, and legal counsel to the Board furnished an opinion that reading Scripture during Board meetings violates the Establishment Clause. The complaint (full text) in Rooks v. Peoria Unified School District, (D AZ, filed 9/26/2023) seeks a judicial ruling that plaintiff's practice does not violate the Establishment Clause or the Arizona Constitution, that punishment for her practice violates her free speech and free exercise rights, and that she is entitled to absolute legislative immunity for her recitation of Scripture. Fox News reports on the lawsuit.
