ACLU And Liberty Institute Line Up On Opposite Sides Of The Jesus Portrait Battle In Ohio

The Liberty Institute offered free legal service to an Ohio middle school’s fight to keep a portrait of Jesus Christ donated by a student group several decades ago. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the Freedom From Religion Foundation demanded the image be removed from the rural southern Ohio school.

The ACLU has also joined forces with the atheist group to force the Jackson Middle School to remove the religious image, according to The Telegram News. Community rallies held in support of the Jesus portrait at the Jackson Middle School have drawn large crowds. Facebook pages of locals in the area also largely support the right of the Ohio school to keep the Christ portrait donated by the Hi-Y Club, a student group during the 1970s.

Jackson School District Superintendent Phil Howard had this to say about the Liberty Institute’s involvement in the movement to keep the portrait of Jesus at Jackson Middle School:

“The District has retained Liberty Institute based in Dallas, Texas, at no cost to the district, to investigate and report regarding the Hall of Honor. They are constitutional experts who have represented all across the country cities, counties, and even a state. We want to ensure that Jackson City Schools follow the Constitution, which includes not engaging in religious hostility by immediately removing part of the Hall of Honor display that has been in place for at least 65 years without complaint. Liberty Institute will conduct its investigation for the next few months and then will report to the board and make a recommendation.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation and the ACLU of Ohio have sent letters to the Jackson superintendent claiming the Jesus portrait at the middle school violates the Constitution.

An excerpt from a letter Liberty Institute General Counsel Jeffrey Mateer sent to the ACLU and the Freedom From Religion Foundation reads:

The District has retained Liberty Institute based in Dallas, Texas, at no cost to the district, to investigate and report regarding the Hall of Honor. They are constitutional experts who have represented all across the country cities, counties, and even a state.

“We want to ensure that Jackson City Schools follow the Constitution, which includes not engaging in religious hostility by immediately removing part of the Hall of Honor display that has been in place for at least 65 years without complaint. Liberty Institute will conduct its investigation for the next few months and then will report to the Board and make a recommendation.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation noted they will consider legal action in the portrait of Jesus Christ is not removed from Jackson Middle School, the Huffington Post notes.