ST. LOUIS (CN) - The South Iron School District said it will appeal a federal judge's ruling that it is unconstitutional for the district to let Gideons International hand out Bibles to students.
South Iron claims it has been passing out Bibles for more than 30 years. Parents represented by the ACLU won an earlier challenge, and continued after the school kept handing out the Bibles before or after school.
U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry granted the parents a permanent injunction stating that the school district was "advancing religion by conveying a message of endorsement."
Mathew Staver, president of the law group that represents South Iron, said the school is simply offering an open forum for religious information.
The South Iron School District is about 120 miles southwest of St. Louis.
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