By Ed Thomas
December 1, 2006

(AgapePress) - A First Amendment and religious speech law firm says it's working to keep public schools from becoming "religion-free zones" and has introduced the "Public School Christmas Project" to begin its educational efforts.

Attorney Bruce Green with the American Family Association's Center for Law & Policy (CLP) says the constitutional religious expression rights of students are being violated in various ways because of a lack of understanding by school administrators about those rights. "Entire school districts," says Green, "have begun to eradicate all vestiges of seasonal religious expression from the public schools."

Bruce Green

The attorney says Christmas is a major victim of that approach, including Christmas greetings, cards, and carols -- and that it is surprising when one hears of the documented lengths to which public schools will go to avoid accusations of illegal endorsement of Christmas or any other religious -themed observance.

"That means no Christmas, no Merry Christmas, no handing out Christmas cards by the students, no sharing of the true meaning of Christmas by students to other classmates ... during instructional time," he explains -- adding that such measures are not necessary.

In a released statement, the legal group acknowledges that the nation's public schools "play a profound role in shaping the thought and behavior of future citizens and leaders" -- but cautions those those same schools "must not become 'religion-free zones' where the only perspective ever heard is secular and materialistic."

According to Green, the CLP's Christmas Project has a strategy to erase the misconceptions of administrators -- as well as the "misrepresentations" by some groups -- and to educate the educators. "This is an attempt to inform well-meaning public school officials that it doesn't have to be that way," says the firm's vice president for policy.

In addition to developing a database of public school officials that will assist the CLP in communicating with America's public schools, the group is sending a memorandum to school superintendents across the country that explains the religious rights of students at Christmas and all year long. Green also assures that the Law Center will also help protect those rights through litigation, if necessary.