BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 The effort to display the Ten Commandments in Kern County schools is back \u2014 and it’s stirring emotion, drawing legal pushback, and forcing the community to confront where religion and public education should meet.<\/p>\n
A little over a year ago, Pastor Angelo Frazier first brought forward the idea of displaying the Ten Commandments in Kern County classrooms under the Superintendent\u2019s Office. But the proposal never made it to a final vote.<\/p>\n
Now, with a new school year underway, the debate is back \u2014 but with a different approach. This time, the topic came up as an informational item on the board meeting agenda \u2014 framed as a display of historical documents. That presentation included the Ten Commandments \u2014 alongside five other historical texts.<\/p>\n
Mary Little the school board President says, \u201cWell there\u2019s six different documents that we\u2019re putting together that we are proposing, and if the board wants to vote on all six or take some out, then we\u2019re free to do that. One is the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Ten Commandments, and three others.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the start, the proposal has been controversial \u2014 with some saying it violates the separation of church and state. The board asked for a presentation from the Freedom Foundation \u2014 a conservative group that opposes public sector unions.<\/p>\n
Attorney Mariah Gondero said they\u2019ll defend the board for free if a lawsuit comes from including the Ten Commandments in the display. \u201cWe are aware that if you adopt this resolution, you\u2019ll likely face a lawsuit. But we believe the current Supreme Court precedent \u2014 as well as Ninth Circuit precedent \u2014 supports this resolution, and we would represent Kern County and the board free of charge if you’re faced with any type of lawsuit.\u201d She said. <\/p>\n
She also added that Liberty Counsel has won more cases than it\u2019s lost defending similar policies in other states.<\/p>\n
However, Kern County would be the first school district in California to adopt such a policy. \u201cI believe Kern County has the chance to make history in California by adopting this resolution. I believe we will prevail \u2014 and it\u2019s going to help many other states as well.\u201d Gondero said. <\/p>\n
But not everyone agrees. Some community members say including the Ten Commandments \u2014 even as part of a historical display \u2014 crosses a line. Paul Linfesty is a community member and he says, \u201cI am totally against putting the Ten Commandments in public schools. Many students have different beliefs \u2014 and if they wanted Christian beliefs, they could go to a private school.\u201d<\/p>\n
The school board president tells me the next board meeting is scheduled for November 13th, where the issue will be further discussed \u2014 and possibly put to a vote.<\/p>\n
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