
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, May 25, 1990                   TAG: 9005250661
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: HARRISONBURG                                LENGTH: Short

BIBLE DISTRIBUTION MOVED FROM SCHOOL

Students at Spotswood High School will continue the tradition of receiving Bibles upon graduation, but they'll have to go off school property to get them.

The Rockingham County School Board decided to end the practice after a few students and the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the tradition of handing out Bibles during commencement exercises.

The School Board called a special session to decide the issue late Wednesday night following a regular board meeting.

Hundreds of students, parents and alumni gathered in Spotswood High's auditorium for the board meeting. Senior Ken Davis said a majority of the senior class was in favor of receiving the Bibles.

"First, it is a tradition that has been discontinued seemingly without consent," he said. "Where will they stop? Will they continue to take until they pull Bibles from the public library shelves, close churches, Christian bookstores and take Bibles from our homes?"

A majority of the students voted to have their Bibles distributed to them off the school property right before graduation. Students will have to go to a private residence to pick them up.

County schools Superintendent David Andes said this morning that board members decided to end the practice on the advice of school attorney Phil Stone.

"The attorney was advising that the policy was unconstitutional and unlawful to do it the way we were doing it," Andes said.

by CNB