Suspended Over Candy Cane Distribution

Estudiantes de una escuela en Massachusetts fueron suspendidos pro distribuir "Candy Cane" con un mensaje religioso. Pero lo mas peligroso e inmoral es que estas escuelas distrubuyen condones y anticonceptivos.

A group of Christian high school students in Massachusetts who were suspended for distributing candy canes with a religious message attached filed a lawsuit in federal district court on Monday, January 13, claiming school administrators violated their right to free speech.
According to Liberty Counsel, the legal defense organization representing the students, just before Christmas break in December 2002, students of the L.I.F.E. Bible Club passed out approximately 450 candy canes to their fellow students during non-class time. A folded card that contained information about the Bible Club meetings, a Scripture verse, and the story of the candy maker who wanted to invent a candy to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ was attached to each candy cane.
Prior to distributing the candy, some of the members of the Bible club sought permission to distribute the candy during non-class time from Westfield High School Principal Thomas Daley. Daley refused, saying the Christian message may offend some of the other students and so denied their request. He then consulted with Superintendent Thomas McDowell, who agreed with Daley that the message might offend some students and thus denied the students’ request, too. The students were warned that if they went ahead with distributing the candy canes they would face disciplinary action. Nevertheless, the students forged ahead with the distribution, “believing that God called them to share the Gospel message.”
After the group returned from Christmas break, they were suspended for distributing the candy canes. Six of the seven members then sought legal recourse.
“This case underscores the blatant hostility by some government officials toward the Christian message and the ignorance of school officials regarding the constitutional rights of students,” said Mathew Staver, president and general counsel of Liberty Counsel.
School officials said their policy prohibits students from distributing any material unrelated to the curriculum. So far, they have declined any interviews.
“As far back as 1969, the United States Supreme Court declared that students do not shed their constitutional rights when they enter the schoolhouse gate,” Staver continued. “Students are citizens under the Constitution and are protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion.”
Staver is asking the court to declare the school district’s policy and actions unconstitutional and to immediately remove the suspensions from his clients’ files.
“The students as the recipients of the educational system will now become the educators, teaching the Westfield Public School officials the meaning of the Constitution’s guarantee of free speech,” he said.
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/3085/CWA/freedom/index.htm
1/16/2003 By Tanya L. Green, J.D.