Less than one week after the Second Circuit Court of Appeals held that Title VII’s prohibition on sex discrimination bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its own landmark Title VII … Read more
Archives: Religion and the Schools
Subscribe to Religion and the Schools RSS FeedSchool District Faced with Possible Lawsuit for Prohibiting Candy Canes with Religious Message
The issue of religious expression in the school setting is potentially facing another legal test in West Covina, California. The school district is being faced with the threat of a lawsuit from the Advocates for Faith and Freedom (AFF) over … Read more
Court Rejects Student’s Challenge to Student ID Badge Requirement
With the increased focus on school security, more school districts will be utilizing and requiring that students wear ID badges while on campus. A federal district court in Texas has recently denied a student’s challenge to this practice, denying the … Read more
A Texas Judge Allows Religious Messages on Banners
Cheerleaders in Kountze, Texas have a practice of putting Bible verses on the banners they hold up at football games. Banners have been painted with phrases such as “If God is for us, who can be against us?” and “But … Read more
Virginia School Board Votes to Return Ten Commandments Displays to Schools
Setting up a constitutional showdown about the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution, the Giles County School Board unanimously voted to return displays of the Ten Commandments previously removed from its schools. One month earlier, the district had removed … Read more
First Circuit Affirms That Recitation Of The Pledge Of Allegiance Is Not A Formal Religious Exercise
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, the New Hampshire state legislature passed the New Hampshire Patriot Act. While the Act provides for a daily recitation of the pledge in all of the state’s schools, the statute … Read more
Should School Districts Allow Their Students To Perform Religious Themed Songs at Holiday Concerts?
The case Stratechuck v. Board of Education, 587 F.3d 597, 610 (C.A.3 (N.J.), 2009), (which the United States Supreme Court declined at the start of this term to hear), involved a parent, Mr. Stratechuck, who challenged the school district’s … Read more
Eastern District of North Carolina Federal Court Issues Temporary Restraining Order Requiring School District to Readmit Student
A federal district court judge has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) requiring school officials to readmit a student who had been suspended for wearing a nose stud that she says is part of her religion. The student is a … Read more
Graduation Ceremony Does Not Violate Establishment Clause: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
A federal district court in Wisconsin has ruled that a school district did not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by holding high school graduation ceremonies at a local church. The court was not persuaded that “obligatory participation … Read more
Federal Court Upholds Ban of Religious Materials in Public Schools
An Idaho federal court has ruled that the Idaho Public Charter School Commission (the “Commission”), the body that regulates public charter schools in Idaho, did not violate either the U.S. or the Idaho Constitution when it banned the use of … Read more
Court Issues Injunction Prohibiting Graduation Ceremonies at Cathedral
A federal district court judge issued a ruling on May 31st enjoining a Connecticut school district from holding its high school graduation ceremonies at a local cathedral. The judge found that the plaintiffs, including several students and parents, had established … Read more
United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana Issues Preliminary Injunction Barring Student-Led Prayer At High School Graduation Ceremony
On April 30, 2010, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana issued a preliminary injunction barring a student-led prayer at a high school graduation ceremony. The lawsuit against the school district was brought by the ACLU … Read more
Oregon House of Representatives Votes to End Ban on Teachers Wearing Religious Garb
Oregon, Nebraska and Pennsylvania are the only remaining states to prohibit religious clothing in public schools. But Oregon has taken the first step in lifting the ban in a vote on House Bill 3686. Proponents of the bill praise … Read more
Former Student Sues School Over Graduation Speech
A Montana high school valedictorian is suing her former school district and various school officials for their refusal to allow her to present her valedictory speech as written. As one of several valedictorians in her high school class, Renee Griffith … Read more
Pledge of Allegiance Law Found Constitutional
A federal court in New Hampshire recently ruled that the State’s law requiring school districts to set aside time for students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance (the “Pledge”) in schools does not violate several clauses contained in the U.S. … Read more
Religious Music Ban at Graduation Found Constitutional
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a lower court decision finding that a school district did not violate the Constitutional rights of a student when it prohibited her from performing an instrumental version of “Ave Maria” at her high school’s graduation. The … Read more
