Judge backs school in flier removal

The Washington Times ^ | 3-1-06 | Zinie Chen Sampson

[JZelle]

RICHMOND -- A federal judge has ruled that a southeastern Virginia school district didn't violate a teacher's free-speech rights by removing Christian-themed postings from his classroom walls. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith rejected arguments that York County school officials deprived William Lee of his First Amendment rights when they ordered the removal of postings that included articles about President Bush's religious faith and John Ashcroft's prayer meetings with his staffers when he was attorney general. "This case is not about what free-speech rights Lee has as an individual expressing himself on private property," Judge Smith wrote in her opinion filed last week. "Rather, this case is a question about what free-speech rights Lee has as a public school teacher-employee." The postings were removed from Mr. Lee's Spanish classroom at Tabb High School at the start of the 2004-05 school year after a parent complained.

[JZelle]

The posters supporting gay life were left untouched.

[zzen01]

APPEAL!

[FormerLib]

They probably considered the turd-burglar recruitment posters to be too sacrosanct to touch.

[MadeInAmerica]

Leave the hershey highway posters alone....don't even think about touching the Islam is peace posters and God have mercy on you if you even think about touching the Hitlery for president posters.

But get those Christian posters OUT....

[AZRepublican]

Other materials taken down included...a depiction of George Washington praying at Valley Forge.

Yep, liberal Democrat loonies cannot allow any depiction of old George Washington praying in public.

[CheyennePress]

This has got to be the most random decision I've seen. Why in heaven's name is he allowed to have a poster of Mayan and Incan religious practices and prayer for 9/11 and our troops when he can't display George Washinton praying at Valley Forge (a very famous painting, mind you) and a National Day of Prayer poster?

I think my next poster, were I this teacher, would read:

"Do Not let any one claim to be a true American if he should ever attempt to remove religion from politics."
--George Washington

[AZRepublican]

Post this at the next Demcratic convention and watch them go nuts.

[Question_Assumptions]

I wish they'd be consistent. The First Amendment protects both freedom of speech and the free practice of religion. If a teacher can preach their political views to a class of students without infringing on their freedoms, they should be able to discuss their religious views. Or perhaps the political views don't have any place in a classroom, either?

[willgolfforfood]

The courts HAVE ruled in the past (circa 1970's) that "Students do not lose their first amendment rights when they arrive on campus."

Once again, this looks like a very selective enforcement of this right.

[Steve_Seattle]

I think this decision is vulnerable for overturning. It sounds very much like viewpoint-based discrimination. I believe the courts have ruled that a teacher can wear a crucifix in a public school, as an expression of her personal beliefs, and that there is no presumption that this represents an endorsement of religion by the school district itself. I wonder what the school district would say if teachers were ordered not to have political bumper stickers on cars they drive to school and park in the school lot.

[Steve_Seattle]

In recent years many public schools have adopted curricula which sympathetically treat Native American creation myths, religious beliefs - e.g., the Sacred Salmon - yet no one ever says this is a church/state issue.

[little jeremiah]

Only secularist, atheist, and homosexual promoting viewpoints allowed!

Whatever is not mandatory is prohibited!

Stand peacefully in line and take your soma!