Faith under fire: Student told to remove rosary

[pnwmom]

186. The ACLU strongly supports the rights of students to wear rosaries.

It's not up to the school to decide which displays of religion are acceptable, unless a specific connection to gang activity can be shown -- and it couldn't in the case of the boy or this girl.


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.