Justice Scalia Says Schoolchildren Are Wrong When They Call The Constitution A 'Living' Document

At the talk, Scalia stressed that judges' decisions should "reflect the letter of the law," the Dallas Morning News reports.

Scalia is a strict "textualist" – one who interprets the U.S. Constitution strictly – who was dubbed the "high court curmudgeon" by former Georgia representative Bob Barr.

The outspoken justice has complained about flight attendants' poor grammar and enraged the gay community by pointing out that the Constitution doesn't protect "homosexual sodomy."

On Monday, Scalia had a different target for his ire. He complained of schoolchildren who visit the Supreme Court and call the Constitution a "living document."

"It's not a living document," Scalia said, according to the Dallas Morning News. "It's dead, dead, dead."

Scalia also suggested on Monday night that his strict interpretation of the Constitution sometimes forces him to write opinions that conflict with his personal beliefs.

In the next few months, Americans will get to see whether Scalia can find a Constitutional justification for affirmative action, gay marriage, and a landmark civil rights law.