Arizona school board member Heather Rooks is suing the district after she was banned from quoting Bible verses at meetings

An Arizona school board member has filed a lawsuit claiming that rules prohibiting her from reciting Bible passages at official meetings are a violation of her free speech rights.

Heather Rooks, an elected member of the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board, sued the district herself in the lawsuit filed last week in federal court in Arizona.

According to the complaint, Rooks began reciting a Bible verse during the part of the meeting where members could make comments of their choice, as a way to empower herself to carry out her official duties.

But Rooks says she “felt compelled to stop quoting Scripture” after receiving a letter from the district warning her that it violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the government from interfering with a religion. to establish

In her suit, Rooks is seeking unspecified damages, and a court ruling upholding her right to recite Bible passages during the council’s comment period as protected speech.

A spokesperson for the Peoria Unified District did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com Friday night.

Attorney Andy Gould at the First Liberty Institute, who represents Rooks with the law firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, said in a statement: ‘Heather takes seriously her responsibilities to serve the parents and students in her community, citing Bible verses as a source of courage and strength in the performance of those duties.

“Like so many dedicated public leaders throughout our history, Heather can certainly use inspirational quotes from religious, historical and philosophical sources and figures as a source of personal inspiration, as well as encouragement for the community at large.”

“I am grateful to be a part of the Peoria Unified School Board,” Rooks said in her own statement.

“As a member of the school board, I understand the weight and significance of all of our decisions, and find simply quoting scripture out loud to myself and to many in attendance to be encouraging,” she added.

Rooks, a mother of four who ran for the Peoria school board on a parents’ rights campaign, began her term in January 2023.

She says that since the beginning of her tenure, she has opened her remarks during the council comment period by quoting a short scripture from the Bible.

Rooks, a mother of four who ran for the Peoria school board on a parents’ rights campaign, began her term in January 2023

The headquarters of Peoria Unified School District is seen above

“At the beginning of her remarks, Rooks often recited a short Bible verse—a simple quote without elaboration or further comment,” the lawsuit states.

“Each time Rooks read a Scripture, she chose the verse to mark the occasion and strengthen herself to carry out her official duties,” the suit adds.

In her suit, Rooks cites US elected officials from George Washington to President Joe Biden, who have also quoted religious scriptures in public comments, arguing that it is part of a long-standing tradition and a protected form of speech.

‘Rooks’ use of quotations from a sacred and historical text – the world’s best-selling book – to grace public events and bolster herself to carry out her official duties fits comfortably within a long-standing, well-accepted tradition,’ the take on

“This Court should declare its legality and remove the threats that forced Rooks to suspend her practice.”

However, her attorneys say the Peoria school board soon began receiving letters from “anti-religious organizations” demanding that the district prevent Rooks from reading scripture.

One of the groups protesting Rooks’ Bible quotes, Secular AZ, issued a statement calling her lawsuit “another in a long line of bullying behavior aimed at intimidation of the Council, a usurpation of legitimate authority.” and an enforcement of Christian nationalists’ dogma.’

“Courts have consistently ruled that prayer is not permissible at school board meetings because of its importance in maintaining secularism in schools and the risk of pressuring impressionable students, who often attend meetings,” the statement added.

‘The fact that presidents and legislators refer to Scripture is irrelevant.’

The case is 23-cv-02028 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.