SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A federal judge has ruled that a New York school district violated a fourth-grader’s freedom of speech in 2004 when the girl was not allowed to distribute a "Jesus Saves" flier to classmates. U.S. District Judge Norman Mordue, in a 46-page decision, also said the school policy governing the distribution of student literature on school property was unconstitutional.
No decision has been made whether to appeal the judge’s ruling, Superintendent Jan Matousek said. The decision means administrators will either have to allow or prohibit all types of fliers, she said. "It is our obligation to provide our students with a religiously neutral environment," Matousek said.
The ruling also makes it possible for other students to hand out any literature that doesn’t incite violence or interfere with student education, said Mathew Staver, a lawyer and executive director for Liberty Counsel, an Orlando, Fla., legal group.
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