ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County school board members voted Tuesday evening to ban all religious materials from being distributed at public schools. In 2014, a group put Bibles in Orange County schools for one day, and another group was able to provide atheist materials. But it was when the satanic temple tried to put its own book in schools that the district's policy became an issue. The policy previously permitted the groups to leave religious materials on tables at schools at the beginning of the year on a nationally recognized freedom day. At Tuesday's meeting, board members voted 7-1 to amend the policy. Pam Gould was the only board member who voted to keep the policy. "My priority is to make sure kids have access to everything that will enrich their lives, even if we have a bump in the road," Gould said. Roger Gannam, with the Liberty Counsel, told Channel 9 that his group will put up a legal fight if the religious materials are banned. "If my client is turned away because my client is a religious organization, then I think we'll have grounds to sue the school board based on an unconstitutional policy," Gannam said. Eyewitness News found out that the Liberty Counsel sued the Collier County school district over a similar issue in 2009. The group won the case and the school district had to reimburse it more than $20,000 for legal expenses. But Orange County School Board Chairman Bill Sublette said the board is prepared to deal with any legal complaints that arise. "This board has been fully briefed on the legal issues," Sublette said. David Williamson, who represents the atheist group that wanted to distribute materials, said he agreed with the decision to amend the policy. "It was good to know that their goal is to make sure religious materials are not permitted to be in schools," Williamson said.
