Citing concerns over gangs who wear six-pointed stars, a Mississippi school board has announced that the Star of David is now banned from school property. Harrison County school Superintendent Henry Arledge justified the board decision by saying it was done to protect the welfare of the students.
The school board considered banning crosses but decided not to do so. The American Civil Liberties Union is scheduled to file suit in U.S. District Court today representing a Jewish student who was ordered to remove the Jewish symbol.
The Catholic League’s position was spelled out by its president, William Donohue:
“Ridding the schools of violence is a must, but it cannot be done by sacrificing religious liberties in the process. The decision by the Harrison County school board was at the very least ignoble and at the worst anti-Semitic. Either way, the Catholic League sees a vital religious liberty at stake and will file an amicus brief against the school board, presuming the case moves beyond the District level.
“This has to be one of the dumbest decisions we’ve heard about coming from a school board, and we’ve heard of plenty.”
