The constitutionality of a 1963 law providing for the free loan of textbooks to pupils in private and parochial schools was challenged in Superior Court here today. The suit requested an injunction against the Cranston School Board, restraining it from spending an estimated $20, 000 for textbooks to lend to seven parochial schools, one of which is a Hebrew day school.
The suit, brought by five taxpayers and endorsed by the Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, contends that the textbook law violates the principle of church-state separation, and imposes a tax for non-public purposes.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.