Posted on 05/26/2010 1:39:11 PM PDT by Fiji Hill
Memorial Beads or Gang Symbol? Student Suspended for Wearing Rosary
Case Highlights First Amendment Free Speech Debate in U.S. SchoolsWASHINGTON, May 25, 2010
Hosier, a 13-year-old Schenectady, New York, boy, is gearing up to file a federal suit against his middle school after he was repeatedly suspended for wearing a rosary, which he says is in memory of his older brother who died in a bike accident.
Students say they were singled out because they had on black T-shirts. Hosier said he has worn the rosary since September, but in the last week was suspended three times, most recently on Monday, when he arrived at school with the beads outside his shirt.
"When I wear the rosary beads," Hosier says, "my brother's memory is alive." His brother, Joey Hosier, was holding the rosary when he died.
But officials at Oneida Middle School say the district's code of conduct clearly states that beads worn outside of the shirt are forbidden.
"Beads are often identifiers for gangs," says Karen Corona, who handles communications for the Schenectady City School District.
"The code of conduct is entirely about keeping students safe. Unfortunately, we live in an area where we need to do that. We try to take every step possible to keep the displays out of school."
Hosier says he has worn the beads for the entire school year and was only recently asked to tuck them inside of his shirt. When he refused, he was suspended -- twice last week and again on Monday, he says.
"I feel that it's not right to suspend me because I have my own rights to wear my rosaries and they are taking away my religious rights to wear what I remember about my family members," he says. "I told them I wasn't in a gang, and that purple is not a gang color."
Hosier is being represented by the conservative American Center for Law & Justice, which has argued several cases nationally involving freedom of speech and religion.
The lawyers are planning to file a suit in federal court claiming the school violated Hosier's constitutional rights to free speech.
In a letter to school officials the lawyers write, "Raymond's rosary is a form of symbolic speech. Raymond has a First Amendment right to continue to wear his Rosary to school."
Experts on such cases believe that Raymond could well win his case. Across the country, as schools are cracking down on gang activities, students are filing more and more challenges to protect their freedom of expression.
Critics Say Rosary Ban Defies 'Common Sense'
"There are religious liberty issues in a case like this as well as freedom of speech issues," says Charles C. Haynes of the First Amendment Center. "I think school districts are overreacting in banning things they think might be harmful or related to gang violence."
Haynes says the school district has to show real evidence of a connection between the beads and gang violence and says the case becomes more of a challenge for the school when the expression in question has religious significance.
Ed White, a lawyer representing Hosier, points out that a federal judge in Texas ruled on a similar case in 1997. The judge ruled in favor of students who wanted to wear glow-in-the-dark rosaries that the school thought might be gang symbols.
Last year a federal judge in New York also found against a school's code of conduct.
"It comes to a point where you have to apply some common sense," White says. "Common sense is not being applied in Schenectady."
Tuck the beads inside your shirt, kid
God knows they are there
School makes the rules, not you
What a surprise! Who ever would have expected a lack of common sense in the welfare patronage toilet of Schenectady NY?
These people will never learn that they can be sued for that, big time. But I guess it’s only taxpayer money...
“Common sense is not being applied in Schenectady.”
Hard to find just about anywhere, these days.
Got to protect the kids from those Marian gangs.
This doesn’t mean the youth is a devote Catholic.
It’s simply a fashion statement these days that also feeds into the adolescent’s mentality that they’re inmortal.
It’s just what the pentagram symbol on a necklace was to hard rockers in the 90’s.
Agreed. But we both know that had this been a symbol from a religion that was not a flavor of Christianity there would be no outcry from the school.
“Beads are often identifiers for gangs,” says Karen Corona, who handles communications for the Schenectady City School District.
Oh, so this kid is one of those kind of Catholics, the gang type. Rediculous. Hell, when I was a kid we all wore surfers crosses (German Kights Cross).
And crosses are the "signs" of Crusaders...
Yeah. It identifies him as a Christian Catholic Gang Member.........
wearing them is nice, but is he praying them?
Absolutely.
This is precisely why so many public schools here have gone to uniforms, despite protests that students should have the “right” to express themselves by what they wear.
There are plenty of ways and plenty of time to express yourself off school grounds. While in the classroom, your responsibility is to study and learn.
Ask a policeman or lawyer or waiter or bus driver if a dress code infringes on their “rights” of free expression, and these days most will express the opinion that they’re glad they’ve got a job.
Highly inappropriate in this instance. You might read more than the headline next time.
Mr White, here's some common sense: Your client wants a sanctioned right to insult the Catholic faith by appropriating one of its most sacred symbols as a fashion accessory. Far from this being an expression of speech or of religion, I doubt whether this punk is capable of articulating or even conceiving a coherent religious thought.
“Beads are often identifiers for gangs,” says Karen Corona, who handles communications for the Schenectady City School District.
“The code of conduct is entirely about keeping students safe. Unfortunately, we live in an area where we need to do that. We try to take every step possible to keep the displays out of school.”
______________________________________________________
Ordinarily my first impulse would be to suspect some kind of anti-Catholic or anti-Christian bias here but Rosaries are worn by gangs, especially Latino gangs. Kids have been killed by gang members for less. They think a kid innocently wearing a gang sign or color is a member of a rival gang or is someone disrespecting their colors or symbols and bang bang.
Someone should teach the boy that Rosaries are not intended to be worn, they should be carried in his pocket. He can better honor his brother by praying the Rosary faithfully.
With an AB degree in journalism from SUNY Plattsburgh, Karen Corona would seem to be well-educated. Does she now know what a rosary is?
Well, hold that rosary in your hand and say a couple of prayers while you’re at it, kid. A rosary is not, properly speaking, an article of clothing, and should not be worn as a cool necklace or a colorful fashion accessory. Even “one that makes a statement.”
Personally, I think schools have a right to have a dress code if they wish, and there is no true conflict of conscience here, since “wearing” a rosary is not even recommended, let alone required, by the Catholic faith.
On the angle of “freedom of expression,” OK, go for it; but don’t be surprised if the next thing to come up is the hijab for the Muslim girls, and the kirpan worn by Sikh boys: that’s a “ceremonial daggar.”
Actually this may be a good time to say to Catholics - don’t panic, but all across the country in seemingly unrelated cases - Catholics are having a lot of “accidental deaths”.
One of the odd parts is that their Catholic regalia is missing when the body is found. One would presume that virtually every living person in this country would recognize a crucifix as a Catholic symbol. It “appears” the regalia is missing in an attempt to delay police recognition of the patterns/motivations behind the crimes.
It is not panic time yet for Catholics - but it is “be very aware time”. I support the right of an individual to display their religious insignia, I’m wearing a Magen David right now - I would never tell someone that they shouldn’t. But you know, Jews are the canary in the coal mine and we have been through this before.
I’m telling you that if you are Catholic and you are out on the street ALONE (for whatever reason) do no openly display your crucifix. You might want to tuck it in your shirt, pocket, purse or whatever. If your are in a group of people in a familiar area and you feel safe - that’s fine - display it ‘til your heart is content. I’m just saying that if you spend a lot of time alone, if you use public transportation, if you have children who are away from you for periods of time - be very aware of your surroundings. You do not want to put yourself in a situation where a stranger can look at you from across a street and immediately see the regalia and identify you as a Catholic.
I’ve been researching into the “blood libel” accusations against Jews throughout history and I’m finding many things about the present that I never thought I would ever see. This information about what is happening to predominately young Catholics is an unexpected piece of information. It was an accidental find. I am Jewish, I believe that if you save one life it is as if you have saved the whole world. If this information on this board finds it’s way to one Catholic who takes note and is saved as a result, then the purpose for my finding the information has been fulfilled.
Go in safety, and tell your friends to be careful.
Mine at #18.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.