Student Allowed to Wear Anti-Abortion T-Shirt

On the day President Obama addressed the nation's school children in September, a middle school student in Pennsylvania wore a T-shirt with the message, "Abortion is not Healthcare." A teacher subsequently sent the boy to the principal's office, where he was asked to turn the shirt inside out because it might offend other students.

The student's father, William Boyer, filed a lawsuit against the West Shore School District, alleging that his son was unfairly censored by school officials. The lawsuit also claimed that the district's dress code and student expression policies were unconstitutional, and that the censorship of religious speech violates the first and 14th amendments to the Constitution.

On Monday of this week, a federal judge approved an agreement between the district and the student which allows him to wear the anti-abortion T-shirt, at least temporarily. Under the agreement, the district will permit students to wear anti-abortion and religious T-shirts and will not enforce the portions of its "dress and grooming" and "student expression" policies that are being challenged by Boyer. According to The Houston Chronicle, the district may still enforce policies that "restrict student expression if it will cause a substantial disruption, is offensively lewd or encourages the use of illegal drugs or alcohol."

The district and the child's lawyers have until Jan. 15, 2010, to come to a final agreement. If they do not, the issue could go to trial. [Chron.com, ydr.inyork.com, USA Today]

(From FotF's Pastor's Weekly Briefing)

As a random, but somewhat interesting aside, when you Google "Pastor's Weekly Briefing" I come up as the #1 result, higher than the actual place that provides them! Odd.