{"id":2034192,"date":"2023-09-16T03:21:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-16T07:21:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-school-district-reverses-course-after-refusing-to-distribute-pocket-copies-of-us-constitution\/"},"modified":"2023-09-16T03:25:43","modified_gmt":"2023-09-16T07:25:43","slug":"texas-school-district-reverses-course-after-refusing-to-distribute-pocket-copies-of-us-constitution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-school-district-reverses-course-after-refusing-to-distribute-pocket-copies-of-us-constitution\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas School District Changes Stance, Now Distributing Pocket Copies of US Constitution"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftexas-school-district-reverses-course-after-refusing-to-distribute-pocket-copies-of-us-constitution%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2034192&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>A Texas school\u200d district has agreed to distribute a pocket version \u2062of \u200cthe U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence to students after initially refusing on grounds that it was \u200d&#8221;political&#8221; material.<\/p>\n<p>The school district located just\u2062 north of Austin, a liberal bastion\u200d in a red state, backtracked Friday, saying\u200c the refusal\u200b was due to a &#8220;misunderstanding.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Citizens\u200b Defending\u2062 Freedom, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-nations-second-largest-teachers-union-influenced-cdc-on-school-reopening-guidelines-delayed-return-to-classrooms\/\" title=\"Report: Nation\u2019s Second Largest Teachers Union Influenced CDC On School Reopening Guidelines, Delayed Return To Classrooms\">conservative watchdog group<\/a>, began distributing 17,000 donated copies of \u200dthe U.S. \u200cConstitution to middle schools in Williamson County, Texas, in September\u2062 ahead of\u2063 the Texas Celebrate Freedom Week and Constitution and Citizenship days.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/in-depth-law-schools-promote-idea-that-us-constitution-should-be-scrapped-5430884\">IN-DEPTH: Top Law \u200bSchools Promote Ditching \u2063the Constitution<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<div><strong>7\/29\/2023<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/no-the-constitution-isnt-racist-trash-4326802\">No, the Constitution Isn\u2019t Racist\u2063 Trash<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<div><strong>3\/10\/2022<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>However, Leander\u2064 Independent School District was the only school system\u2063 in the county to reject an\u200c estimated 4,000 free copies of \u200dthe founding documents, defining them as &#8220;political advertisements,&#8221; according to\u2062 Jonathan Hullihan, a Texas CCF Attorney.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Hullihan told\u200b The Epoch Times he was shocked by Leander ISD&#8217;s rejection of the founding documents.<\/p>\n<p>In a seven-page letter to Superintendent Bruce \u200dGearing on Sept. 15, Mr. Hullihan demanded that the district reconsider its &#8220;unconscionable&#8221; violation of the First Amendment\u2063 in the very Constitution at question.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The demand\u2062 letter was copied to Leader ISD&#8217;s\u200d school board trustees and several \u200bTexas legislators.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Hullihan said while he believed in \u200bgiving\u2063 the district the benefit of the doubt\u2063 that a \u2062mistake had been made, litigation \u2063was on the table if Leander ISD did not\u2062 distribute the Constitutions to students.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I\u200c would have filed \u2064a lawsuit,&#8221; Mr. Hullihan said. &#8220;This \u200dis the model for\u200d winning.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh thumbs through a well-worn, pocket-sized copy of the U.S.\u200c Constitution as he testifies before the Senate Judiciary \u2062Committee on the\u2064 second\u2062 day of \u200bhis confirmation hearing on \u2062Capitol Hill in \u2062Washington on \u200bSept.\u2062 5, 2018.\u2064 (Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>CDF members and Moms for Liberty first contacted principals at Leander ISD on Sept. 10 in an attempt to give out the \u2062pamphlets, Mr. \u200bHullihan \u200bsaid.<\/p>\n<p>Four days \u2064later, the school district explained its denial \u200bin an email from Heather Neds, the district&#8217;s community relations coordinator.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;After reviewing the pocket Constitution you dropped off for \u200dus, we cannot \u200ballow you to distribute\u2062 them at our schools. It is against our policy,&#8221; \u2064she wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The founding documents would &#8220;prevent the\u2064 district from maintaining a position of neutrality on political or religious issues or\u2064 would \u2062create an appearance \u2063of favoritism on political or religious \u200bissues,&#8221; she stated.<\/p>\n<p>On Sept. 15, the district&#8217;s superintendent responded and informed school\u200c principals to \u200daccept\u200c the pocket Constitutions,\u200c Mr. Hullihan said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>The Texas state Capitol in Austin, Texas, on\u2062 June 16, 2021. (Mei Zhong\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Volunteers expect to complete their\u2064 distribution by Sept. 18, he added.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a huge victory,&#8221; Mr. Hullihan said. &#8220;You know, 4,000 more kids \u2063are going \u2064to get a copy of our founding documents to this nation that gives us the liberty \u200band the freedom we enjoy today.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;Misapplication of District Policy&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>Daniel Cernero, \u200bLeander ISD&#8217;s assistant director of communications, told The Epoch Times\u2062 in an email that refusing the pocket Constitutions was an error.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Upon investigation and consultation with \u200cour general counsel, we have determined that there was some\u200b internal confusion and\u200c misapplication of \u200cdistrict policy,&#8221; Mr. Cernero wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The pamphlets will be made available to students, consistent with the time, place, and manner restrictions \u200dof district policy concerning the distribution of non-school literature, according \u200cto Mr. Cernero.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Hullihan said that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-school-district-reverses-course-after-refusing-to-distribute-pocket-copies-of-us-constitution\/\" title=\"Texas School District Changes Stance, Now Distributing Pocket Copies of US Constitution\">federal\u200d law requires educational institutions<\/a> that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/college-swimmer-says-trans-athletes-competing-against-women-destroys-fair-competition\/\" title=\"College Swimmer Says \u2018Trans' Athletes Competing Against Women Destroys Fair Competition\">receive federal money<\/a> to commemorate Citizenship Day and Constitution Day every year on Sept. 17, or the first weekday after that, to celebrate the documents signed on \u2063that date in 1787.<\/p>\n<p>Texas statute also \u200dcalls for school districts to teach about the Constitution on its anniversary, along with the Declaration of Independence, during\u200c Celebrate Freedom Week.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:976px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>Pocket \u2062Constitution provided for distribution to schools \u2062by the nonprofit 917 Society to Citizens Defending Freedom\u2064 in Texas in September 2023. (Courtesy of\u2063 Jonathan Hullihan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In his letter to the \u200dschool district, Mr. Hullihan explained that the 917 Society, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rhode-island-dems-push-to-teach-kids-about-pleasure-based-sexual-relations\/\" title=\"Rhode Island Dems Push To Teach Kids About \u2018Pleasure Based Sexual Relations\u2019\">nonprofit organization dedicated<\/a> to distributing the founding documents, donated the pocket Constitutions. The\u200d nonprofit is not politically affiliated, which\u2064 was cited as\u2063 a reason for the district&#8217;s distribution denial,\u200b he said.<\/p>\n<p>The pocket Constitutions were &#8220;simply to be\u2063 used\u2063 as an \u2062educational resource, to\u200d further inform future generations on the importance of\u2064 preserving \u200dour Constitution and fostering an appreciation for our nation,&#8221; Mr.\u2062 Hullihan stated.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023,\u2063 the 917 Society\u200d is donating 1.3 million pocket Constitutions to middle school students in all 50 states, Mr. Hullihan said.<\/p>\n<p>Under its educational initiative, the \u200bnonprofit has worked with\u200d over 27,000 middle school \u200cprincipals nationwide to provide pocket Constitutions.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Hullihan said\u200b he\u200b didn&#8217;t know how the\u2062 Constitution could\u200d be considered political to\u200c anyone.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s the\u200b most\u200d important foundational document in our country,\u2064 and\u2064 I would argue in the history of the world obviously besides \u2063the Bible,&#8221; he\u2062 said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I\u200c mean, it ignited the spark of freedom around the entire world, and the entire world is a\u2063 brighter place because\u200d of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2>Is essential for \u2064students to\u200c have access to educational \u200bmaterials that teach them\u2064 about the U.S. Constitution and the principles on which \u200dthe nation\u200c was founded. How can schools effectively educate students about the importance of the Constitution without promoting\u200b bias or political ideologies?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Date if it falls on a \u200cweekend. He argued that the refusal to distribute the pocket Constitutions was a violation of this requirement.<\/p>\n<p>The incident in Leander ISD sparked a\u200b larger conversation about the importance of\u2062 educating\u2064 students about the U.S. Constitution and the principles on which the nation was founded. Supporters of the distribution argued that it\u2062 is\u2062 crucial for students to have access \u200bto these foundational documents in\u2063 order to understand their rights \u2064and responsibilities as citizens.<\/p>\n<p>Critics, on \u200bthe other hand, raised concerns\u200c about the potential for bias or promotion of political ideologies in the distribution of the pocket Constitutions. They\u2062 argued that schools\u200d should remain neutral\u2063 on political and religious issues, and\u200d distributing the documents could \u2063be seen as favoring one particular \u2063viewpoint.<\/p>\n<p>However, the district ultimately acknowledged the error and reversed its decision. The pocket\u200d Constitutions will now be distributed to students, ensuring that they have access to these important historical texts.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200ccase in\u2062 Leander ISD highlights \u2064the ongoing challenges in \u200cbalancing educational materials with the \u200cneed to\u200c remain \u200dpolitically neutral. It also serves as a reminder of the ongoing importance of the \u2062U.S.\u2062 Constitution and Declaration of\u2063 Independence in\u2064 our society.<\/p>\n<p>Educating students about \u200cthese foundational documents is crucial for fostering an informed and engaged citizenry. By providing students with access to \u2063the\u2063 pocket\u200d Constitutions, schools \u200bcan help to ensure that future\u200c generations understand the \u200brights and responsibilities outlined in these important texts.<\/p>\n<p>As the distribution of pocket Constitutions\u200b continues in Williamson County, \u200bTexas, \u200dit is clear that the\u200d conversation about the role of these\u200b documents\u200b in education\u200b will persist.\u200c It \u200bis \u200bup to school districts and communities to find a balance that \u200callows\u2064 for the dissemination of important\u200d historical \u2062materials\u200c while maintaining\u2062 a commitment \u2062to neutrality\u200d and intellectual diversity.<\/p>\n<p>In an \u200dever-changing \u200dpolitical\u200d and social landscape, it<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Texas school district near Austin, known for its liberal stance in a conservative state, has reversed its decision to withhold pocket-sized copies of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence from students. Initially citing political concerns, the district now claims it was a misunderstanding and will distribute the materials.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":904,"featured_media":2034193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2034192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/904"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2034192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2034193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2034192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2034192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2034192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}