TOPEKA — A Kansas elementary school principal who facilitated the distribution of Bibles to students by an evangelical missionary during recess in May has breached the First Amendment, according to a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Kansas sent to the school district on Monday.
Katie Struebing, principal of East Elementary in Belleville, a city with approximately 2,000 residents, invited Ben Dreesen, a representative from the evangelical group Gideons International, to distribute Bibles to students during their recess on May 7, the ACLU’s legal director Monica Bennett outlined in the letter. Gideons International is well-known for placing Bibles in hotel rooms across the United States.
Prior to Dreesen’s visit, Struebing informed her staff that she would be notifying students about “the nice man” who would be giving out Bibles, according to the letter. The ACLU was alerted to the incident by concerned parents of a student.
Bennett’s letter detailed that Struebing permitted Dreesen to be on school grounds during school hours, accompanied him while he distributed Bibles, and involved other school staff in the event. By doing so, Struebing effectively endorsed Dreesen’s religious message and created a coercive religious environment for students, Bennett argued.
Additionally, Struebing’s actions contradicted the Republic County school district’s policy, which prohibits staff from using classroom settings to “promote or convey” religious viewpoints, Bennett noted.
The letter’s aim was to “educate and remind the principal and the school district about the necessary separation of church and state,” Bennett told Kansas Reflector.
The First Amendment, along with various U.S. court rulings, mandates that government institutions maintain neutrality regarding religious and non-religious matters.
Struebing did not provide a comment and redirected inquiries to the school district superintendent, Tami Knedler, who has not yet responded.
This incident follows a similar event in Kansas earlier this year. In April, employees of the Butler County school district notified parents of their plans to invite Gideon missionaries to distribute Bibles at Bluestem Elementary School. Parents were given the option to exempt their children from the distribution if they submitted signed permission slips.
“After facing backlash, including from Christian parents invoking the First Amendment, the district reversed its decision,” Bennett wrote.
Bennett emphasized that public awareness of religious law in schools should be matched by school officials’ understanding of these regulations. She cited a 2021 study and a 2019 survey showing that most Americans believe public schools should not influence religious beliefs.
“It’s crucial to recognize that our laws uphold individuals’ rights to practice or refrain from practicing religion according to their personal beliefs, including passing on these beliefs to their children,” Bennett said.
She added that school districts should honor these principles.
“The ACLU of Kansas strongly advises against allowing missionaries to distribute Bibles on school premises in the future,” the letter concluded.