Lawsuit: School says no to Jesus, yes to Black Lives Matter
A Simpson County family sued the Simpson County School District in U.S. District Court Monday after the school forced the 9 year-old daughter to stop wearing a mask that said "Jesus Loves Me."
Lydia Booth is enrolled in third grade at Simpson Central Elementary in Pinola. The complaint states the school allows other students to wear masks showing statements of support for sports teams such as the New Orleans Saints and political causes such as Black Lives Matter every day.
Lydia's teacher told her in computer class that day she could not wear her mask because of the message did not require her to remove the mask. Jennifer Booth said she was "confused" by the teacher's actions because her daughter had worn the mask several times to school without incident.
Moms being moms, Mrs. Booth described the incident in a private message on Facebook in an effort to find out if anyone knew of such a school policy. She said Lydia would were the mask again because she could not find a rule that barred words on masks. Word about Jennifer's post soon got back the school.
Principal "Marie" Antoinette Woodall poked her head in Lydia's class on October 13, called out Lydia's name, winked at her, and left. It is not known if she offered any cake to little Lydia. The teacher's assistant asked the child to put on another mask before going to lunch. She picked out a mask with a panda bear and wore it the rest of the day. Marie called Jennifer at 9:32 to inform her Lydia had to wear another mask. The complaint claims someone informed the principal of the Facebook post. She allegedly told Jennifer the "student handbook prohibits religious messages on masks." The complaint describes the exchange:
91. Jennifer asked Defendant Woodall to identify the specific policy.
92. Defendant Woodall referenced the "Dress Code for Students" policy which prohibits "clothing advertising alcoholic beverages or drug culture, clothing with obscene language or gestures or clothing of any suggestive nature."
93. Jennifer responded that this policy does not apply to the message on L.B's mask because "Jesus Loves Me" is not obscene and does not reference alcohol or drugs.
94. Defendant Woodall reiterated that the student handbook prohibited religious messages and said that she would reach out to Defendant Assistant Superintendent Robert Sanders to obtain the specific policy.
The mother emailed the school that afternoon:
I am requesting my child return to wearing her mask TODAY and have an apology to her from the school district. According to the Mississippi Student Religious Freedom Act that took effect July 1, 2013 you are prohibited from discriminating against students by their expression of religious perspectives. There isn't any policy mentioned in the handbook that goes against this 1st amendment right for my child. In fact this religious freedom act is mentioned on page 12; and also a students right to free speech on page 13.Section 2 of the Act states:
Student expression. A public school district shall not discriminate against students or parents on the basis of a religious viewpoint or religious expression. A school district shall treat a student's voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint, if any, on an otherwise permissible subject in the same manner the district treats a student's voluntary expression of a secular or other viewpoint on an otherwise permissible subject and may not discriminate against the student based on a religious viewpoint expressed by the student on an otherwise permissible subject. Rest of article.
Jennifer claims the parent/student handbook incorporates the Act as well. However, she alleges some chicanery took place when she kept asking the school district to cite the actual policy she violated. Deputy Superintendent Robert Sanders called her October 14 and allegedly admitted the student handbook didn't bar Lydia from wearing her religious mask. However, Mr. Sanders did not admit defeat as he pulled out the Restart Plan for the school district.
Mr. Sanders said page 10 of the Restart plan barred religious messages. The complaint states:
105. Instead, Defendant Sanders asserted that page 10 of the Restart Plan specifically prohibits masks with "political, religious, or sexual references." He said that the Restart Plan was put on the school district website at the beginning of the year, but that it was no longer on the website. He said that he would send a copy to Jennifer.
106. Jennifer asked how a religious message on a mask is different than one on a t-shirt. Defendant Sanders said masks were different because the message was "right in your face with a mask."
107. Defendant Sanders stated that if the district allowed L.B. to wear the "Jesus Loves Me" mask then the district would also have to allow a mask with the message "Satan Loves Me."
Jennifer said she would have no problem with a student wearing such a mask. No Restart Plan was posted on the district's website but she found an archived version. The original plan did not contain any bans on masks bearing religious messages. Mr. Sanders sent her a copy of the plan but the metadata (allegedly) did not match the metadata of the plan on the website.
The only difference between the two plans was the alleged inclusion of the religious statement ban in the email. The metadata for the emailed plan showed it was modified on October 14, a few minutes after Mr. Sanders spoke to Jennifer. The complaint charges Mr. Sanders with altering the plan to include the prohibition after he received Jennifer's email but before he spoke to Jennifer. In other words, he changed the policy to cover his own ass.
Superintendent Greg Paes doubled down and notified all parents the next day there was a ban on masks containing religious expressions. Marie Antoinette told SCS students on October 20 that they could not wear masks with political or religious messages.
The Booth's claim the school district violated Lydia's right to free speech and free exercise of her religion. The targeting of little Lydia violates her due process rights under the 14th Amendment as well.
The plaintiffs ask the Court to stop the district from enforcing the ban on masks containing religious statements and to rule that Lydia's rights were violated. The Booths ask for a jury trial.
The case is assigned to Judge Henry Wingate and Magistrate Linda Anderson.
Kingfish note: Should we start a betting pool on how quickly the district will settle? The District is going to lose this one and it won't even be close.
62 comments:
Democrats run these schools and now we are seeing their true colors. Republicans are cowards and refuse to push back. Democrats never go to jail. I’ll be completely surprised if this gets published.
Progressive teachers/administrators are infiltrating MS schools, which is part of the progressive Democrat's master plan.
Yes sweetie in 2020 we know that Black Lives Matter and that Jesus is a bronze age fairy tale for low IQ hillbillies and hayseed hicks.
The reason she can't wear the mask is because you racist rednecks would loose your marblea if a muslim girl wore something islamic. They can't ban the muslim garb and allow the christian garb so they have to ban it all.
This was a bonehead stupid move on the part of the school district.
The only way to control offensive wording on masks is to do a blanket ban on masks with words on them. This isn't an attack on Christians
ADF also called out Northwest Rankin High School earlier this week after it prohibited one of its students from wearing a Trump face mask while allowing other political messages to be worn. Just surprised that schools in some of our most conservative areas are so eager to engage in viewpoint discrimination against its own students.
New World Order getting stronger every day. Get used to it folks, it's here.
I’m sure they would ban white lives matter and blue lives matter too, so hopefully Jesus doesn’t take this too personally.
Same district that banned, or somehow sanctioned, that high school football player from wearing pink cleats several years ago, after his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Why not just pray for the school district to change the policy? Why file a lawsuit over something so trivial. You are a Christian in Mississippi and you think you are being persecuted? Give me a break and follow the damn rules like everyone else.
9 year olds shouldn’t be bill boards for feuding grow ups. Standard issue uniforms help a lot. I guess we will have to write in mask rules too.
Stupid Simpson County School District. I hope they go to hell.
Unacceptable. That school district should be ashamed.
Yes. Jesus loves you.
Everyone else thinks you are an A$$HOLE.
It's hard to believe that the inane, liberal crap that keeps the north and west perpetually unhappy and at everyone's throats is filtering its way into Mississippi. Like KF said, the school district will lose this one before it gets started, because even though the American Socialist Party may be about to take control, until they do, the American people STILL have constitutional protections (which still includes the 1st amendment......you know, one of those amendments the left USED to support.)
Quit trolling for clickbait Kingfish. You know Black Lives Matter and Jesus Loves Me are synonymous. The school is trying to teach efficiencies and avoid redundancies.
Half this state is going to end up in a FEMA camp because you people just cant accept progress. You lost! Get with the program! You will eat the bugs! Your children will be nonbinary and genderfluid! You will own nothing and you will be happy!
As Christians, we aren’t opposed to what everyone else is wearing. What if Jesus is her uncle’s name? Churches are houses full of sinners. We don’t believe we are better. We just happen to believe what the Bible says. And, we’re supposed to try to have good morals. If it’s all a fairytale, I’d like to know what you believe, created you. Something made you the way you are for a reason. You cannot procreate without joining one of each gender. That’s a damn fact.
Stop getting your feelings hurt over what someone wears. Believe what you want to believe and stay out of the way. Let the kids wear things that represent good morals. Or, things that represent bad morals. That way everyone knows who wants to do good in this world.
The kid should just get a discrete tattoo. She and her parents can flash it at church. Isn't that what Mississippi rednecks do?
The irony is that Covid-19 is God's Will.
So are the Democratic Parties victories.
Not everyone believes ridiculous ancient superstitions AKA religion.
Banning the mask is the right call.
For the record I'm an atheist conservative Republican who finds the idea of Virgin birth, resurrection, snakes that are talking con men and magic apples far less believable than Sasquatch, the tooth fairy, Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny and nothing more than fodder for fools.
hope they piss off a toilet bowl full of money defending what I hope is a lost cause. Someone else could wear a Black Lives Matter Hajab and they probably wouldn't have said a damn thing. Shame on them.
Green acres needs to get their head off the Internet and stop believing CNN or ABC. Most of us rednecks would feed your dumb ass without asking too many questions. Think about that simple notion. You probably won’t get it.
And that is okay.
School policy should ban slogans from clothing. How would things go if a Muslim child had worn a mask with "Allahu Akbar" on it? Shut it all down and be fair.
Let's just ban any and all lettering, messages, and pictures/images on any visible article of clothing worn by students, teachers, athletes, administrators and especially those pesky bus drivers and cafeteria workers. That'll solve the problem(s)...
Hah !
The trolls are throwing extra buckets of chum on the water today.
I'm a Christian. I love Jesus and I know Jesus loves me. That said, why do people, children and adults, find it necessary to advertise everything? I don't care whether it is this or a sports team or some flag. Why must everyone be attempting to make some sort of statement? I say wear your school colors and logo (and by that I mean the school you actually attend) and no other advertising allowed.
Fuck the public schools. Best thing we ever did was pull our kids out of public schools and send them to private ones. My only regret is we didn't go to private schools from day one. And we live in a 'good' school district.
Banning the mask is the wrong call. It’s very similar to you being able to come on this site and call the Bible a ridiculous superstition. Very simple, but your feelings are obviously hurt. You can dish it out, but can’t take it. Typical snowflake.
2:04 (and same person at 12:11). I doubt anyone cares what you think or believe and hope your trolling makes you feel better. Literally go to hell. As a Christian I am supposed to care, but I don't. Read Matthew (12: 31-32) and weep, sucker.
Just another bitch, bitching. Quit crying and suck it up. It’s sad to see how many cucks are among the JJ crowd.
If you allow one religion, you allow them all. A student has the right to their own religion, therefore, a devil worshipper could wear a mask with their emblem, or slogan. Deal with it. separation of church and state can come in handy during these times. WHY BLM is approved is beyond me as this is political and should be covered by District Policy. If they can't walk in with a GOP or Demo Mask, then BLM should not be allowed. Hello, Superintendent, how do you even allow this. Freedom of speech is only as there if laws allow it. BLM should not be allowed. Stop worrying about religion. These laws of separation actually benefit those that believe.
Clear violation of the Free Exercise clause.
This is a black principal showing a white kid who's boss. Plan and simple. She doubled down and the administration backed her play.
It goes to show what happens when people with a little bit of power try to use legal arguments to justify their petty power plays with people who are smarter than they are: They get sued, and they will lose.
Allow all of them so we can see who believes in hate.
You can't be up in nobody face with no message like that, foo. Mr. Sanders a educated man and been to all kind of advance school and know about rules and how to make rules and make rules stick and such. Fredom from speech is all around us cause you can't talk in libary and studie halls and such place. So there.
Freedom of Speech is Freedom of Speech. Live Free or Die. I will be one of the ones hung from the gallows or shot in the back of the head when the communists take over such as
1. Pol pot
2. Stalin
3. Mao
4. Biden/Harris
5. Castro
6. Chavez
Oops...did I step on some toes?
If BLM can spread there Marxist shyt then what does that tell us?
"Jesus is a bronze age fairy tale "
Say that about the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and you might be beheaded.
At least the Christians won't cut off someone's head if they disagree with their religious doctrine.
" You can't be up in nobody face with no message like that, foo."
This comment is proof that some schools are not even covering the fundamentals of basic English.
Many think such academic disciplines are irrelevant in 2020.
Trust me. . . it remains very important for someone's future.
I was part of the first level of management that sorted out applicants from potential new employees. If they spoke like 6:05, they didn't make it to a second interview.
Believe it or not, it's up to the applicant to impress the potential employer.
It's simply a matter of the ability to exercise speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. It is extremely likely that the child wanted to wear this mask because the child understands that Jesus does love her, just as much as He loves those of you who reject Him. He still loves you and wants to save you. Why not trust Him and feel His love in your own life?
never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity
permit me to doubt that the fool administration asked their lawyer before doing this
Every Christian child in that school system should wear a "Jesus Loves Me" mask on Monday!!! I wear a cross and chain often around my neck. Would that school forbid this? I am embarrassed for any school that picks on a third grader when BLM is allowed.
@2:04. I understand how butt hurt you are that Trump lost. My condolences. Meanwhile, those of us who understand the law and the Constitution, will continue to roll our eyes over the ignorance of people like you and other pathetic trolls.
If, in fact, the District allows BLM paraphernalia, they will be hung by their nutsacks.
Who gives a shit what you atheists believe? Answer: Nobody. What you keep missing is the fact that only the religious message was 'offensive' and it's the only one banned, while others were viewed as appropriate. That in itself is a discriminatory action based on religion and protected by the first amendment.
You dunces wearing black nail polish and professing atheism don't understand the amendment. And nobody gives one whit that you're a disbeliever.
Here's a corollary you might recognize: An employer who bans union messages on its bulletin boards but allows messages advertising cookie sales, club cookouts and invitations to consider joining Kiwanis...is in direct violation of federal law and will either allow all or none...or wind up in court.
giving unto Caesar what is Caesars (no religious words on a mask-following a public school rule)
it doesn’t take mask with “Jesus loves me” on it to give God what it Gods.
don’t like that Caesar rule? private school. it’s their choice. end of story. game over. we don’t live under religious law as the law of society. neither did Jesus. and it was the religious leaders that conspired against him...not the Romans.
I notice the outpouring of hubris informing us that Christianity is a "bronze age" religion. One problem fellas, the bronze age ended in the Near East in 1200 BC.
Please feel free to use your ignorance in a pale attempt to prove us wrong. You simply help make our argument for us.
There are four US Supreme Court cases on this issue. The school district will win this case.
8:22, Please post the names, and preferably the citations, of the cases to which you referred. I, for one, would like to review those cases.
-Nov. 6 @5:57 p.m.
2:04 pm, you profess to be an atheist and that is certainly your right to believe as you choose, but I a a andit is also my right to believe as I choose. I would however pose two simple basic questions to you
1. If you are correct in your belief, what have I lost by believing mine? Answer: I have lost nothing.
2. If I am correct in my belief, what have you lost? I will leave that answer up to you.
Something to think about is it not?
Schools have great latitude under the Robert's court -- even if the conduct is off-school grounds. In Morse v. Frederick, 551 U.S. 393 (2007) the Court held that the First Amendment did not prevent a school from suppressing student speech viewed as promoting drug use across the street from a school-supervised event. Frederick was suspended after he displayed a banner saying "BONG HiTS 4 JESUS" during a Winter Olympics torch relay. Frederick claimed his constitutional rights to free speech were violated. His suit was dismissed by the federal district court but the 9th Circuit reversed. Chief Judge Roberts concluded that school did not violate the First Amendment.
As much as they hate it, even the ACLU will have to side with the student on this one.
Who actually believes a school district can ban religious thought and expression while allowing political and race-based thought and expression?
I hope this cost the school (I mean local taxpayers) a ton of money and the administration their jobs. Sadly, just the first is likely to happen.
Ironically, Jesus still loves the school board and administration too.
Just Google free speech in schools.
I wonder what the hierarchy will be in the New World Order? Not everyone understands where this thing is going.
@Nov. 6 4:06
You are vile. I feel so sorry for anyone that has to listen to you when you speak. You offer nothing to this world but venom.
There's a whole lot of stupid on this board.
I believe in Jesus Christ. What are any of you going to do if I walk around yelling it? I believe in prayer, I believe in God’s forgiveness. I believe that i can forgive, too. I think the boldness of some to make fun of or belittle that belief and allow it to Not be publicly displayed will be regretful for some in time. God Bless.
Thus proving Mark Twain right 150 years ago:
First God created an idiot for practice. Then He created a School Board.
Expect censorship and persecution to be turbocharged. The FBI/NSA/CIA have become the secret police for the totalitarians and now with zero push-back. Facebook/twitter/Google/MSM are auxiliaries in charge of internet and TV censorship and propaganda, likewise now with zero push-back.
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