Religion Belongs in the Picture

In response to a federal district court’s ruling, “Wisconsin high school students will be allowed to use religious symbols and imagery in their artwork, but not gang related symbols, sex, or blood.”

According to the lawsuit initiated by the Alliance Defense Fund (a Christian legal advocacy group), an art teacher gave a “student a zero on an assigned drawing of a landscape because the student included a cross and the words ‘John 3:16 A sign of love.’The teacher cited a class policy that prohibited any expressions of violence, blood, sex or religious beliefs in artwork. The lawsuit alleged the student was treated unfairly because of his religion.” According to Tomah High School art teachers, they only had the students’ best interest in mind, and sought only to keep students from representing satanic and other “gang related beliefs” (we all know how God-fearing gang-members can be). Although students will be allowed to represent religious imagery to their heart’s content, they will still be barred from using violence, gang symbols, blood and sex in their art projects (including Goya, Velázquez, Manet and Picasso). More at The First Amendment Center.

For interesting information on art and The First Amendment, click here. As to why speech by public school students can be curtailed in harmony with The First Amendment, click here. For more on religion in public schools, click here.