With Court's Permission, Children Can Hand Out 'Religious' Valentines
by Allie Martin
February 14, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Today students in one Texas public school district are able to give their classmates Valentine's cards and gifts with religious messages -- the result of a district judge's ruling that protects the free-speech rights of students.The temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued against Katy Independent School District (located just outside of Houston) after a lawsuit was filed claiming years of discrimination against Christian children. The suit was filed by the Plano-based Liberty Legal Institute on behalf of five families who claim the district has engaged in a pattern of censorship of students' religious speech since 2001.
The lawsuit claimed, among other things, that children were prohibited from drawing religious images in an art fundraiser, handing out faith bracelets during recess, and talking about Jesus with other children during free time. In addition, the district policy banned parents and children from bringing religious-themed items during class celebrations -- thus the request for the TRO so children would be permitted to distribute religious valentines to classmates without fear of disciplinary action from school officials.
Kelly Shackelford, president of Liberty Legal, says the TRO will ensure that students have free-speech rights for the immediate future.
"The overall lawsuit is about all of the religious discrimination that's going on across the board throughout the district," the attorney explains. "But the thing [that was] coming up immediately, of course, is Valentine's Day [when] a number of these children ... wanted to give their friends Valentine's cards or gifts that had religious elements to them."
According to Shackelford, the children's parents approved of the religious-themed articles -- but that any mention of Christ, God, or personal faith would be "illegal or banned under what the school district was doing."
Shackelford admits the TRO was a "severe remedy" to the situation, but that the district's "extreme violations" made it necessary.
"[W]e had to ask for an immediate restraining order stopping the school from continuing in this discrimination," he says. "We now have the threat of contempt if they dare to do this to the kids at Valentine's."
According to a Liberty Legal press release, a school-wide Valentine's Day party was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. today.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
