HILLVIEW, Ky. — A religious-based school is still in session, refusing to close despite a recent court ruling in favor of Governor Andy Beshear's order to shut down in person instruction.
About 200 students were in the classroom at Maryville Independent Christian Academy of Hope (MICAH) School at Maryville Baptist Church despite an appeals court ruling to close the school.
MICAH School Administrator and Pastor Dr. Jack Roberts said while he's concerned about the pandemic, he's doing the right thing and not fearful of how he'll be judged.
“The governor’s mandates really aren't law. We all know that he can mandate anything he wants, but the legislature has to make laws,” Roberts said.
Roberts is no stranger to coronavirus controversy. The governor sent Kentucky State Troopers to his church to collect license plate numbers and place flyers on cars when Roberts refused to close church services in the pandemic's early days.
MICAH is one of several schools teaming up with Attorney General Daniel Cameron to sue Gov. Beshear over the order to close all schools due to a COVID-19 surge in Kentucky.
A Federal Judge sided with them last week, but the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling Sunday, siding with Besehar and ordering schools to close.
Monday, Attorney General Cameron filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, but it's unclear if they will take up the case.
WHAS11’s Chris Williams: “Are you concerned about how you will be judged someday for how you’ve handled the school during the pandemic? And by judge I don't mean by a court of law.”
Roberts: “Well, this is the reason we're open, Chris, if you want to know the true answer, because the ultimate judge that we'll have to stand before, all of us, that includes our governor, as well as our news reporters, as well as us pastors. We'll have to give account to the supreme God of heaven as to how we do things. That’s the conviction we have as to why we are still here and why we're still open.”
Williams: "If you lose at the Supreme Court will you shut down the school? Roberts: "No."
Williams: "Why?"
Roberts: "Conviction."
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