What can a school do to me for refusing to change my shirt because it had "God" on it?
well, i just went on a mission trip and my friends and i got these really cool t-shirts with bible verses on them and stuff. but my friends said that the last time they wore them they got in trouble because they had "God" on it and had to turn it inside out.
well, i kinda want to wear mine to school now, and if i get in trouble and have to change, im not going to. i mean, if kids can wear religious head scarfs then why cant i wear my shirt? better yet, what can the school do to me if i refuse to change my shirt? im not worried about them calling my parents because my mom is against this whole policy of no religion in school. can it go on my permanent record?
Answers:
The school cannot make you change your clothes unless the promote illegal activity smoking, sex, violate dress code (usually showing too much skin or gang signs) or it causes a disturbance to general education.
Now from what you describe I see nothing wrong with it...and I am a teacher.
You can refuse to change. There have actually be cases where students have gone to court (because the school suspended them for refusing to change) and have won.
Just be sure whatever it is its not a disturbance to education.
There was a case that a student that was suspended for wearing a shirt that have a Bible verse on it that implied homosexuals were going to hell, he got suspended, went to court and lost because the judge believed it disturbed education.
Though your freedom of speech is somewhat more limited at school than in most public places, you do still have that right.
It may go on a discipline record at your school but not any further. Wear it and wear it proudly if you so choose.
Sounds like Barb down there is all about obeying. Sometimes rules need to be broken and new boundaries need to be set!
in Ohio nothing
By law they can't do anything. If they give you a hard time, log on to www.aclj.org.
Tell them, they can speak to Jay Sekulow an attorney specializing in this type of discrimination.
Do you really think a scholastic environment is the place to make a stand to disobey the rules? Do you think that school is for education and church is for prayer?
Do you think you should be exempt from the dress code because you are special? Do you have no regard for those who obey the code?
They will expell you. It is probably a good thing. You didn't learn much on your "mission trip" did you?
I don't know of the legal ramifications, but do what your heart and brain tells you to do. So they suspend you, somethings are worth fighting for. I would ask for a dress code policy.
Don't do it to be a troublemaker, but if you believe in what the verse says. It would help if you told us what was on your shirt.
I do have one question, does your school hand out condoms.
Just curious, I have heard that some schools are now doing
this. Do they allow any other religious dressing, i.e. Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, etc..
Keep us posted.
Wear it! That is so great that you will stand up for what you believe in!! And that whole thing with no God at school is ridiculous and stupid! Good for you!!!
They can't do anything to you. If somebody wearing a turban came intoo the school they couldn't tell them to take that off...it's the same thing. I commend you for not taking it off
Legally, nothing. Though you might be in trouble if your school has an assigned uniform and the shirt violates that policy. But a policy outlawing genuinely voluntary religious messages doesn't have a leg to stand on.
If you get in trouble, call the ACLU. They've won some similar cases.
(and yes, I know that last sentence will get some people screaming. there's a lot of irrational hatred of the ACLU.)
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