Plano,Texas: Schools prohibit Christmas colors

WorldNetDaily ^ | December 15, 2004 | Ron Strom

[BROKKANIC]

First it was schools that banned the singing of Christmas carols.

Then another banned carols played only by instruments with no lyrics being presented.

Now a school district has banned the colors red and green from a "Winter Break Party," requiring parents to bring only white plates and napkins.

[BROKKANIC]

In response to the party policy, as well as many other rules a group of parents and students believe to be rank censorship, a lawsuit has been filed against the Plano Independent School District in Texas to fight back against its "religious hostility," as one attorney puts it.

Other policies cited in the suit, filed today in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division, include a ban on candy cane distribution when a religious card is attached, a ban on parents giving religious-oriented items to one another on school property and a ban on criticizing school board members or administrators on campus.

"This lawsuit includes a large amount of evidence that demonstrates the pervasive religious hostitlity in Plano ISD," said Hiram Sasser, director of litigation for Liberty Legal Institute, which, along with Alliance Defense Fund, is representing about 20 clients in the suit.

Kelly Shackelford, Liberty Legal Institute's chief counsel, noted the suit was purposely filed before Friday, when the white-only Winter Break party is scheduled to occur.

"We asked for a temporary restraining order today to provide protection by this Friday," he told WorldNetDaily.

Shackelford says if the order is issued by Friday, at the party the students would be allowed to pass out religious items, parents would be able to do the same, and the ban on criticizing school officials would be lifted.

"These policies are a blatant violation of religious freedom and free speech," he said. "These are school officials who have lost all common sense."

One item included in the suit is the case of a girl student who was forbidden to invite her friends to an Easter event at her church, according to the law firm. "We've even got a mom who went to the school asking if her daughter at her birthday party could hand out a pencil with 'Jesus' on it," Shackelford told WND, "and the principal got so upset with her that he called the police.

"It's just unbelievable stuff. We've been collecting these things for a year or two. This is a pervasive, district-wide problem of political correctness in the extreme."

Shackelford said the families' attorneys worked with the district's attorney, Richard Abernathy, to try to get the officials to back down on some of the policies, but they did not.

"We filed the federal lawsuit hopefully to put an end to all this nonsense," Shackelford said.

Shackelford said he didn't mind if the district engaged in its "silly pretense" that there is no Christmas, but he says it cannot violate the rights of students and parents in the process.

Said Shackelford: "There's a huge difference between the school putting a sign out that says, 'We endorse Jesus,' and telling students and parents that they can't live out their faith."

Commenting on the white-only policy for party supplies, Shackeford quipped,

He says parents have been verbally told the reason for the color restriction was to shun traditional Christmas red and green. Last week, a note went home with students asking parents to bring certain items for the party. Two items listed that some were asked to supply were: "One package small white plates" and "One package white napkins."

Food being requested included a dozen sugar cookies and a bag of Hersey's kisses. Liberty Legal Institute says the parents were told not to include any colored icing on the cookies, while Alliance Defense Fund reports children were told not to wear red and green clothing to the party.

Shackelford said the complaint is over 150 pages – "just fact after fact."

"We are confident that the courts will uphold the fundamental law that school officials may not suppress or exclude the speech of citizens simply because their speech is religious or includes religious content," Shackelford said.

Gary McCaleb is senior counsel with Alliance Defense Fund.

"The U.S. Supreme Court has never ruled that public schools must prohibit the distribution of candy canes or Christmas cards," he said in a statement. "They have never ruled that you can't say 'Merry Christmas' in the public schools. These attempts to stifle all religious expression and sanitize Christmas of all religious content are tiring to the overwhelming majority of Texans and all Americans."

The lawsuit is known as Jonathan Morgan, et al., v. the Plano Independent School District, et al.

A request for a response from attorney Abernathy's office had not been fulfilled by press time.

These people have gone completely mad with this whole Christophobia thingy! Guess we're definitely going to see a larger conservative majority in Congress come 2006. I salute the libs and their delusions! LOL!

[Dallas59]

Mary Beth King
President
972-423-5863
972-519-8762
mbking@pisd.edu
Term: 5/01 - 5/04

Duncan Webb
Vice President
972-519-8284
dwebb@pisd.edu
Term: 5/01 - 5/04

Ralph Stow
Secretary
972-519-8786
rstow@pisd.edu
Term: 5/99 - 5/02

Melody Timinsky
972-519-8872
mtimins@pisd.edu
Term: 5/00 - 5/03


Scott Carpenter
972-519-8763
972-403-7590
scarpen@pisd.edu
Term: 5/01 - 5/04

Allan Bird
972-423-5350
972-519-8760
abird@pisd.edu
Term: 5/00 - 5/03

John Muns
972-518-8765
972-248-0710
jmuns@pisd.edu
Term: 5/99 - 5/02


Board Mailing Adress and Fax:

Plano ISD Board of Trustees
Administration Building
2700 W. 15th Street
Plano TX 75075
(972) 519-8068


http://www.pisd.org/district/board.htm

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

Good gravy, I cannot believe that happened in Texas, of all places!! I predict that the Plano school board will be Hearing From Its Constituents at its next meeting. And very loudly.

[endthematrix]

""There's a huge difference between the school putting a sign out that says, 'We endorse Jesus,' and telling students and parents that they can't live out their faith." "

Is it that difficult to understand the interpretation of the FIRST AMENDMENT?

[oceanperch]

All the kids should wear Red and Green or Christmas fashions to revolt.

[msnimje]

How very sad it must be to be them.

[BigCinBigD]

The city of Plano is full of liberal loons. Always has been. I don't go near there.

[bahblahbah]

"These people have gone completely mad with this whole Christophobia thingy! Guess we're definitely going to see a larger conservative majority in Congress come 2006. I salute the libs and their delusions! LOL!"

The Dems are really stupid. They just keep living up to their stereotypes. I hope Rove properly capitalizes on gay marriage and secularizing of Christmas. He really needs to figure out how to properly get the message out to the African American Christian community.

[Jaysun]

Plano, Texas is a Plano hell hole.

[asgardshill]

There is at least one sane judicial body out there. U.S. District Judge Paul Brown in Sherman has ordered the Plano school district to let students distribute "religious viewpoint gifts" at school parties scheduled for Friday.

More here:

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/10434272.htm?1c

[kb2614]

The Plano School board is apparently part of Hillary Clinton's Village of Idiots. This is nuts.

[Rome2000]

I'd like to see the Plano school board dragged out in front of city hall and put in stocks for about a week.

[LibertyRocks]

Did they ban blue also - the traditional color of Hanukkah?

Seriously though this is getting way out of hand. There are school districts participating in this suppression of Free Speech all over the country now. Every color in the world has some connotation associated with it....

Let's look at WHITE for instance:

In Ancient Egypt - (hedj and shesep) suggested omnipotence and purity. Due to its lack of color white was also the color of simple and sacred things. The name of the holy city of Memphis meant "White Walls." White sandals were worn at holy ceremonies. The material most commonly used for ritual objects such as small ceremonial bowls and even the embalming table for the Apis Bulls in Memphis was white alabaster. White was also the heraldic color of Upper Egypt. The "Nefer", the crown of Upper Egypt was white, even though originally is was probably made of green reeds. [ http://www.egyptianmyths.net/colors.htm ]

GENERAL: In advertising, white is associated with coolness and cleanliness because it's the color of snow. You can use white to suggest simplicity in high-tech products. White is an appropriate color for charitable organizations; angels are usually imagined wearing white clothes. [ http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

European: Europe White: There is a strong association, in Europe, between the spring festival and the putting on of white garments. May mummers, May queens, newly initiated knights wear it; white was the liturgical color for Easter, and Whitsun means 'White Sunday'.
On the other hand, it is also worn by 'good' fairies who, good or bad, always belong to the other world; and by Roman augur-priests. [ http://hometown.aol.com/marslandsr/color.htm ]

Eastern Culture: In the East, it's the color for mourning and funerals. [Source: About.com/ColorSelection ]

Those dealing with this administration may wish to use the reference to Eastern Culture when addressing the problem with banning colors - do they want their Asian students to associate this holiday party with DEATH and FUNERALS?

I know these points are missing the bigger picture, but some may wish to play along with their thinking... (o;

God Bless us all living in times like these...

[Roccus]

I can not believe what people will put up with just for "free" schooling. Can you even imagine being their children?

[LibertyRocks]

Don't have much time but I sent the following email to the President of the School board down in Plano...

Dear Ms. King,

I don't have the time to express all of my concerns over the banning of red and green from the holiday party in one of your schools... As educators who are wanting to promote diversity and acceptance your actions are completely contrary to these ideas.

Let me remind you that if you're going to start banning colors because it may make some kids "uncomfortable" you must also ban BLUE - the traditional color of Hanukkah. Oh, and since you've already banned Red, and Green then you must also ban the wearing of BLACK since that's the other color for Kwanzaa (Red, green & black)! The children won't be allowed to wear blue or black, will they?

And, while you're at it you'd better make sure the white plates and napkins won't offend your Asian students! You see, white is the traditional color of Death and Funerals in Eastern culture.

Is it starting to sink in about how ridiculous this has become?

My what a stew you've all gotten yourselves into down there in Texas...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

[quadrant]

There is no one to blame for this but Earl Warren and the Supreme Court. When the Court banned prayer in schools, it put us on a path that led to this.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

This is pure evil. It is the wickedness of Satan in full flower. We will declare Christ the newborn King and our liberty in America protects the right we have to say it.

We should take to the streets in a nationwide protest to stop the wicked attempt to remove Christ from Christmas.

I am tired of every group in America being offended while open season is declared on Christians with no slander of Christians off limits.

This is all-out war against followers of Christ in America.

How dare these gargoyles from Hell, impersonating humans, try to make us hide our faith or apologize for it.

[Eagle Eye]

We should take to the streets in a nationwide protest to stop the wicked attempt to remove Christ from Christmas

Yes the outrage. Next they'll try to take Saturn from Saturnalia.

Or maybe just call it Christmas.

[gakrak]

Also, green and red napkins and Christmas tree sugar cookies. You go kids. The could also wish all the NEA union teachers a very Marry Christmas. What could they do have all the kids arrested or suspended? I think not.