Bible Distribution to Students Halted

A 30-year practice allowing school employees in Sumter, S.C., to distribute the New Testament to students who requested it has ended amid concerns over separation of church and state.

The practice, sponsored by Gideons International, came under district scrutiny after a parent complained last fall.

Supt. Andrena Ray said that if school officials were involved in handing out religious material, they could be personally liable for violating the Constitution.

She said the school district’s attorney has recommended that any religious materials change hands off school grounds without the involvement of school personnel.

Don Barber, a local Gideons organizer, said he would abandon the project in the district. “Any time there is a negative reaction to our request, we withdraw it,” he said. “We don’t seek any publicity. Our purpose is to distribute God’s word and make it available.”