Loudon County Public Schools Didn't Allow a Teacher From Putting Bible Verse in Email Signature

By Bernadette SalapareApril 05, 2023 10:15 EDT

A Christian teacher who worked for the Loudon County Public Schools (LCPS) was disciplined for including a Bible passage in her email signature. The Liberty Counsel, on the other hand, sided with the educator and asserted that individuals have the right to put anything they like on their signatures.

Banning of Bible Verses on Teacher's Email Signature

On Friday, Mar. 23, Richard L. Mast and Hugh C. Phillips of Liberty Counsel wrote a letter to acting superintendent Daniel Smith of LCPS. They demanded that the teacher be permitted "to restore the Bible verse to her email signature block."

A report from The Christian Post stated that religious discrimination was constituted in the instruction given by LCPS to the teacher to remove a statement of her personal beliefs from the signature block of her email. This directive was issued purely based on the perceived religious nature of the expression.

"Bible verse in an email signature block does not violate the Establishment Clause," Mast and Phillips said. They pointed out that "a teacher's private speech in the workplace is not state endorsement of any religious message the teacher may choose to convey."

Mast and Phillps also encourage the Loudoun County Public Schools to revise its rules and procedures to align with the Supreme Court's most recent ruling and to refrain from discriminating against teachers on the basis of their religious beliefs.

Moreover, on Monday, Apr. 3, the Liberty Counsel founder and chairman Mat Staver released a statement claiming that recent rulings by the United States Supreme Court and the First Amendment demonstrated that the educator ought to be permitted to include the verse in her signature. Staver said that it is unacceptable for the LCPS to hold a teacher to a different standard because she wishes to include a verse from the Bible in her signature since other teachers have nonreligious quotations.

As per Ballot Pedia, Liberty Counsel is a charitable organization that falls under the 501(c)(3) category and provides free legal advice. The organization is a Christian ministry, and as such, it only works with clients committed to promoting religious liberty and protecting innocent life and the family.

Also Read: US Supreme Court Declines to Hear Arguments in Jusino Ramon v. Federation of Catholic Teachers Case

LCPS' Response to the Letter of the Liberty Counsel

According to Liberty Counsel, Daniel Smith said that the educator can privately demonstrate her religious views. Based on the LCPS School Board Policy 7566, Employee Technology Acceptable/Responsible Use, she can occasionally use School Division technology. It includes her email address for non-work benefits as long as this activity does not consume a significant portion of LCPS assets, does not disturb her job performance or other School Division obligations, and is otherwise in compliance with L.C. law.

However, Smith asserted that the teacher does not limit the inclusion of religious quotations to her email; rather, she incorporates these religious quotations in her communications with children and the parents of those students in her capacity as an employee of LCPS. These communications are not examples of personal expression; instead, they are examples of school-sponsored speech that carries the seeming sanction of the School Division, especially the case when such emails show the "lcps.org" email domain.