A Whitney, Texas church has won a temporary injunction against a school district that had refused to allow the church on their grounds for a Bible study.

Judge F.B. McGregor ruled that Prairie Valley Baptist Church has the same rights to rent the school for after-school clubs and meetings because other community groups are given the opportunity.

The church’s associate pastor and youth minister had contacted the school district last December to hold an after-school Bible study at Whitney High School.  The school’s Superintendent, Gene Solis, contacted the church before the application was even formally submitted, saying he was rejecting the request because if the church was allowed to use the facilities then “fringe groups” could also use them.

Pastor Drew Tucker said he asked the Superintendent to reconsider and then presented the request to the school board.  Superintendent Solis then urged the board to reject the request because the Bible study would be illegal and violate school board policy.

After the Liberty Institute contacted the school, the pastor applied again only to be denied because the school claimed it would cause a traffic congestion problem.

The court ruled the Bible study could take place while the case moves through the court system.  The Liberty Institute praised the court’s decision, saying that it follows well-established federal and state laws on the free exercise of religion.