The Rev. Mitch Randall, one of the plaintiffs cited in the lawsuit, told McClatchy News he was born and raised in Oklahoma, and this mandate is personally offensive to him as a person who identifies with the Southern Baptist tradition and as a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) nation.

Petitioners behind the lawsuit include religious leaders, public school teachers and parents in Oklahoma who argue the measure is harmful.

A group of Oklahoma parents, teachers and ministers are suing to stop the state's top education official from forcing schools to incorporate the Bible into their lesson plans.