Christian Rock Band Sues Ohio School District That Banned Them From Playing at a Public High School

AP ^ | AP-ES-02-17-05 2206EST

[TheOtherOne]

Christian Rock Band Sues Ohio School District That Banned Them From Playing at a Public High School
The Associated Press
Published: Feb 17, 2005

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - A Christian rock band banned from playing at a public school assembly filed a federal lawsuit against the suburban Toledo district on Thursday, claiming discrimination and violation of their right to free speech.

Rossford High School officials in December canceled the band Pawn's performance at an anti-drug assembly. Board members said they feared a lawsuit if they allowed a religious performance in a public school.

School officials declined to comment Thursday on the suit by the band, which is represented by The Rutherford Institute, a Charlottesville, Va., center that deals with church-state issues.

Band members said in the lawsuit that they did not intend to play any songs at the assembly that referred to religion and had agreed to stick to the anti-drug message.

Kyle Kleeberger, a Rossford senior and a member of the band, said after his group was banned that he hoped "we can get more publicity to take Jesus Christ to more levels and follow whatever his plan is."

AP-ES-02-17-05 2206EST

[GeronL]

free speech never applies to Christians, apparently christian speech is not speech. Kiddie Porn gets more support as free speech than Christian speech from the libs

[A CA Guy]

True enough, unless they gave others access and not them.

[F16Fighter]

"My band in jr. high was almost banned from performing at (any more) school dances as well. ......for playing primarily Zep, Sabbath, and Stones' songs at the first one --- not exactly danceable tunes. It ain't easy to dance to "Sweet Leaf," for sure."

Freaks! ;-)

Well I'll tell ya -- NO Jr. High or High School I've known EVER attempted to play Zep, Sabbath or the Stones...because they'd have never have pulled it off -- period! Your band musta been smokin'...

Btw, exactly what were the OTHER bands playing? Boy George, Human League, and Disco?