Third-Grader Told to Stop Wearing 'Jesus Loves Me' Face Mask to School
Secularism is at war against God.
For generations, God has been effectively expelled from the public school system. Starting in the turbulent 60s, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, founder of American Atheists, was one of the main leaders of this rejection of God in society and in schools in particular.
When 9-year-old Lydia Booth showed up to school last month wearing a “Jesus loves me” face mask, she felt the heavy hand of radical secularism. The principle of Simpson Central School where the child attends classes issued clear orders: You can’t display the name of Jesus on your mask! Replace it for a blank one!
Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys have filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the elementary school student and her parents against the Simpson County School District after school officials prohibited her from wearing the face mask.
The third-grade student wished to peacefully share her Christian views with her schoolmates but, even though she wore the mask without disruption or incident on October 13, the principal at her school in Pinola, Mississippi, required her to remove and replace it. Two days later, administrators announced a policy that prohibits messages on masks that are “political, religious, sexual or inappropriate symbols, gestures or statements that may be offensive, disruptive or deemed distractive to the school environment.”
“Public schools have a duty to respect the free expression of students that the First Amendment guarantees to them,” said ADF Legal Counsel Michael Ross. “While school administrators face challenges in helping students navigate school life during a pandemic, those officials simply can’t suspend the First Amendment or arbitrarily pick and choose the messages that students can or can’t express. Other students within the school district have freely worn masks with the logos of local sports teams or even the words ‘Black Lives Matter.’ This student deserves an equal opportunity to peacefully express her beliefs.”
The lawsuit asks the court to halt officials from enforcing their policy. Booth desires to wear her “Jesus Loves Me” mask to school but is self-censoring her expression because her school has already enforced the policy and promises to continue to enforce it, which could subject her to escalating discipline, up to and including suspension.
Please join TFP Student Action in peaceful protest.
Contact information (please be polite yet firm):
Mr. Greg Paes
Superintendent, Simpson County School District
gregpaes@simpson.k12.ms.us
Mrs. Antionette Woodall
Principal, Simpson Central School
awoodall@simpson.k12.ms.us