Christ First Forum

Song allowed, student shines

A fifth-grade student in Los Angeles who was originally told by school officials he couldn't sing a Christian song at a talent show was able to perform it after all.



The mother of the student filed a federal lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School district when her 10-year-old son was banned from singing the song "We Shine." David Cortman, who serves as senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, represents the mother.

"The principal first told the student that she thought the lyrics were offensive, which was obviously troubling to us because all the lyrics are is that 'We shine because we belong to Jesus,'" the attorney explains. "And then she [asked] our client...'Can't you pick a song that doesn't say 'Jesus' so many times?'"

David Cortman (Alliance Defense Fund)The principal did not stop there, says Cortman. "And then finally she actually equated the religious lyrics with vulgarity -- and so each reason she gave, in my mind, just dug herself deeper in as far as violating the First Amendment."

The district finally agreed to allow the boy to sing the Christian song in last Friday's talent show -- a move applauded by Cortman. "It's a great victory for the First Amendment, and we're certainly satisfied that the district did the right thing."

Cortman says there is one more stage to the lawsuit -- making sure the district develops a policy to prevent this type of discrimination from taking place again in the future.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=1290306