Prayer-Soldier writes "On 1 Jun 10, FOX23 News reported that Federal Judge Lawrence Kahn issued a temporary restraining order which allows Raymond Hosier to wear a rosary to school. Hosier, a 13 year old student at Oneida Middle School of Schenectady, NY, was suspended for wearing a rosary in memory of his deceased brother and uncle.
School administrators suspended Hosier on the basis of school policy which prevents the wearing of gang symbols. The school considered the rosary a possible gang symbol because of police reports indicating that gangs may wear rosary beads and other religious symbols as gang identifiers. School officials suspended Hosier after he refused to take off or hide the rosary.
A 1 Jun 10 ABC News report quoted Karen Corona, a Schenectady City School District spokesperson, who said, "Beads are often identifiers for gangs." She continued, "The code of conduct is entirely about keeping students safe. Unfortunately, we live in an area where we need to do that. We try to take every step possible to keep the displays out of school."
According to the report, the American Center for Law and Justice filed a suit in U.S. District Court on behalf of Hosier. The basis of the suit is that the school's policy violates Hosier's rights to free speech and religious expression. In response to the filing, Judge Lawrence Kahn ordered that Hosier may return to school pending a June 11 hearing.
According to a 2 Jun 10 CBS News report, “Other school districts have punished students for wearing rosaries. In February, a 14-year-old boy in Haverstraw, in southeastern New York, was suspended for a day for wearing a rosary. And in Texas, a Dallas high school student was told to stop wearing her rosary in September 2008.”
Cited Articles and Posts
FOX23 News (1 Jun 10)
http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story/Judge-Student-can-wear-rosary-to-school-for-now/78_YQ2hHVU21PuORYfAYGQ.cspx
ABC News (1 Jun 10)
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/judge-orders-reinstatement-teen-suspended-rosary/story?id=10800814
CBS News (2 Jun 10)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/01/ap/national/main6538940.shtml
Prayer Soldier News Summary (24 May 10)
http://www.guardianangelstore.com/article365.html"
