Free Speech Victory in CO: School OK's Student Cross

A middle school student from Colorado can now wear his cross to school without fear of punishment.  The school district has agreed to permit our client, Cainan Gostnell, to wear his cross on a small chain around his neck outside his shirt.

This was a quick resolution - one that protected the constitutional rights of free speech and religious expression for our client, a 7th grade student at Mann Middle School in Colorado Springs.

We told you about this case 10 days ago when we sent the school a demand letter on behalf of our client who became fearful when he heard an announcement over the school's public address system that all students wearing religious jewelry would either have to conceal it or remove it because some people in school are "offended" by the display.  Cainan stopped wearing the cross to school because he feared being punished by the school.

In our demand letter to the school, we asserted that Cainan wears the cross to convey his faith in God and to identify himself as a Christian. 

The attorney from the school district responded with a letter to our legal team handling this case.  The school attorney said "Cainan may continue to wear and display his cross at school. . . ." 

This represents an important First Amendment victory for our client and one that underscores the fact that the constitutional rights of students do not end at the school house door.

We will continue to monitor the school's actions to ensure Cainan's rights remain protected. 

This win comes on the heels of another school case that ended up in federal court in New York.   In that case, our client was prohibited from wearing a rosary for religious reasons on the outside of his clothing to school  Our federal lawsuit on his behalf followed by the court's decision to grant a temporary restraining order on our behalf, resulted in the school district changing its policy of preventing the wearing of rosaries to school.