CHESLEY, Ont. – The Bluewater District school board has voted to ban free handouts of Gideon Bibles.

Public school trustees in the southwestern Ontario region voted 8-3 Tuesday evening to bar the distribution of any non-instructional religious materials.

The vote, which came after months of emotionally charged debates, follows the example of several other public school boards across Canada.

However, the board chairwoman said multifaith content strictly for educational purposes will continue for more than 18,000 students in the region.

Those opposing the ban were accusing trustees of betraying both their Canadian and Christian heritage. Several trustees received threats and hate mail, prompting the board to hire extra security for the vote.