Attorneys Offer Details on Report and Recommendation During 7 PM School Board Meeting

JACKSON, Ohio, Feb. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Liberty Institute and Covington & Burling attorneys announced findings from their report and a recommendation to the Jackson City School Board. To view the report and findings online, visit: https://www.libertyinstitute.org/document.doc?id=46

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Hiram Sasser, Liberty Institute Director of Litigation, stated the following:

• We conducted a thorough investigation and determined that the portrait was not government speech but rather the private speech of the Hi-Y Club.
• Because the portrait is private speech, the school may not censor it simply because of its religious viewpoint.
• It is unfortunate the ACLU sued rather than participating in the full investigation like we invited them to do.
• The ACLU's hard-fought victory at the Supreme Court in the Pinette case prohibits the school district from discriminating against the Hi-Y Club's portrait.
• We would imagine the ACLU will drop its lawsuit, now it is clear the school is simply complying with Supreme Court precedent that their own organization established.
• We feel sure the ACLU would not want the government to discriminate against private speech.

In January, Jackson City School District retained Liberty Institute on a pro bono basis to investigate the January complaints by the ACLU and Freedom From Religion Foundation. Last week, the groups filed a lawsuit in federal court against the District.

About Liberty Institute
Liberty Institute is a nonprofit legal group dedicated to restoring and defending religious liberty across America – in our schools, for our churches, and throughout the public arena. Liberty Institute's vision is to reestablish liberty in accordance with the principles of our nation's founders. Visit www.LibertyInstitute.org for more information.

SOURCE Liberty Institute