Faith under fire: Student told to remove rosary

[pnwmom]

180. The American Civil Liberties Union says the ban violates the 1st Amendment.

The ACLU strongly supports students' right to wear rosaries, which is in keeping with the clear meaning of the 1st Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

http://global.christianpost.com/news/neb-schools-ban-on-rosary-style-necklace-touches-on-free-speech-issues-57228/

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, standing behind Carey, said in a statement it “strongly opposed policy on the grounds it violated the First Amendment’s guarantee to practice religion freely.”

“Students have the right to express their faith in public schools,” ACLU Nebraska Legal Director Amy Miller argued. “Whether a student wants to wear a crucifix, a rosary or another symbol, it is wrong for school officials to interfere.”

“We understand the serious concerns about gangs in schools, but Fremont Public Schools should demonstrate there is a concrete gang connection before shutting down a student’s free speech and religious rights. ACLU Nebraska has and will continue to support the constitutional rights of religious people.”

Agreeing with the ACLU, Omaha Catholic Archdiocese Chancellor the Rev. Joseph Taphorn also said there needed to be concrete evidence of gang affiliation before punishing students for religious expression, in an appearance on KETV.