Trenton, N.J., Jan 7, 2004 / 22:00 pm
A civil liberties organization has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of an elementary school student and his mother, after school authorities prohibited the young boy from giving his classmates holiday gifts that included a Christian message.
The suit, filed by the Rutherford Institute, is challenging a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit that upholds the school policy, which the institute argues is religious discrimination.
"To prohibit a student from handing out gifts of his choosing to his classmates simply because the school is afraid that a parent will mistakenly assume school participation is ludicrous," said John W. Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute, according to CNSNews.com.
"We are hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court will see through the school officials' justifications and recognize their actions for what they are – religious discrimination," Whitehead said.