Nebraska High Court Overturns Minister’s Jail Term for Contempt

The Nebraska Supreme Court Friday unanimously overturned an eight-month jail sentence for contempt imposed on a fundamentalist minister after he refused to close an uncertified church school.

“Well, praise the Lord!” said the Rev. Everett Sileven, pastor of the Faith Baptist Church in Louisville, Neb. He had operated the Faith Christian School in violation of a court order that it be closed until it met state education regulations.

The high court ruled that the Cass County District Court erred by handing down criminal contempt sanctions against Sileven after he initially was charged with civil contempt.

Sileven was sentenced to eight months in jail by District Judge Ronald E. Reagan for willful contempt in April, 1984. He served 37 days of the sentence and was later released on $10,000 bond.

Faith Christian School was one of several uncertified Christian schools that operated in defiance of state law. It became a rallying point for protesters.

The Legislature passed a compromise bill in 1984 which has in effect ended the controversy. The new law allows church schools to operate without certification if they provide the state with information about teachers and classes.