NATION IN BRIEF : VIRGINIA : Court Ruling Kills Falwell Bond Plan

The Virginia Supreme Court said tax-exempt bonds for religious-oriented Liberty University would be unconstitutional, a ruling attacked by founder Jerry Falwell as court-enforced religious discrimination. The justices said that, although bonds have been approved for other church-related schools, Liberty is different because it requires teachers and students to subscribe to the college’s religious doctrine. The Baptist minister had intended to use the tax-free bonds to consolidate long-term debt and expand Liberty’s Lynchburg, Va., campus. He said the ruling will not be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court because of high legal costs.