ACLU given 'veto power' over free-speech rights

Christian groups are appealing a federal judge's ruling that bars the Gideons from distributing Bibles to students of the South Iron Missouri School District.

The South Iron School District allows off-campus organizations to distribute literature to students before and after school. But the American Civil Liberties Union sued, saying the Gideons should not be allowed to hand out Bibles because of their religious nature.

U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry agreed. In fact, she said the ACLU must be able to have the say-so over whether religious literature can be distributed. Staver is asking the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overrule Judge Perry.

He says that, to his knowledge, no other U.S. court has ever ruled that a private, third party should be given veto power over private religious speech.

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