Peoria Unified board member to refrain from reciting Bible scripture at meetings

By Philip Haldiman
Mail | Twitter: @PhilipHaldiman

Peoria Unified governing board member Heather Rooks has agreed not to recite scripture at public school board meetings.

This comes after she and the rest of the board received a letter from the board’s attorney advising them not to so.

For months, Rooks and board member Rebecca Hill have recited scripture at the dais, and have received warnings from the board attorney and fellow board members that doing so violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Also, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has warned board members to stop reciting scripture at public meetings, hinting that the group might sue the board if members continue to cite scripture at public meetings.

The letter sent from the school board attorney to the school board is attorney-client privilege and therefore is not a public document, according to PUSD officials.

PUSD may use multiple firms for legal counsel, depending on the specific issue. Officials said the governing board, like many other school districts, has an attorney to serve as a consistent point of contact on matters related to the governing board and their function in supporting the school district.

“I received a letter from the school district directing me to stop reciting Bible verses during school board meetings. The district asserts that doing so violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Based on the district’s letter, I will refrain from reciting Bible verses at this time, and will have my attorney at First Liberty Institute handle this matter,” she stated at the July 13 board meeting.

For further inquiries, Rooks referred Peoria Independent to nonprofit Texas-based First Liberty Institute, a conservative Christian legal organization that has made a name by actively challenging church-state separation and local anti-discrimination rules meant to protect LGBTQ people, according to a news report.

First Liberty Institute Attorney Andy Gould was not immediately available for comment.

It is unclear if Hill will refrain from reciting scripture at the dais. She did not respond to an inquiry from Peoria Independent regarding this matter.

Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.

Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria
@PhilipHaldiman

phaldiman@iniusa.org

Meet Philip
Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.

Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.

Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater. 

Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.

Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.