Kern County trustees hear divided testimony on proposed historical documents display including Ten Commandments; vote scheduled for November

Trustees of the Kern County Board of Education heard nearly two hours of public comment and a legal presentation Tuesday on a draft resolution to adopt a public display of historical documents — including the Ten Commandments — at schools under the county board’s jurisdiction.

The proposal, presented to the board as “a historical documents display,” was defended by Mariah Gondaro, litigation counsel for Liberty Counsel, who told trustees the resolution as drafted is "litigation proof" and said Liberty Counsel would represent Kern County "free of charge" if a lawsuit were filed. Gondaro said the packet of documents proposed for the display includes the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Pledge of Allegiance and the Ten Commandments, and that she and her colleagues have litigated similar displays in other jurisdictions.

The presentation followed public comment that was sharply divided. Reverend Angelo Frazier, who has previously spoken to the board, thanked trustees for their…