Philadelphia, USA - Three Pennsylvania high school students backed by a conservative legal group have sued their school district, claiming they were prevented from quoting Biblical verses in school and expressing opposition to homosexuality, their lawyers said on Friday.
The students of Downingtown Area School District near Philadelphia say school officials denied them permission to put up a poster containing Bible verses and a picture of a Christian cross on the grounds that it would have violated rules aimed at preventing discrimination.
The district also instructed the students to refer to themselves as a "Prayer Club" rather than a "Bible Club" because the latter would have violated a rule banning expressions that "seek to establish the supremacy of a particular religious denomination, sect, or point of view."
In their lawsuit, the students say they believe homosexuality is a sin and that they have the right to speak out about "the harmful effects of homosexuality."
Last December, a federal judge in nearby Harrisburg barred efforts by evangelical Christians to introduce "intelligent design" -- an alternative to evolution -- into high school science classes, saying the policy was unconstitutional.
The students -- Stephanie Styer, Steven Styer, and Kim Kowalski -- are being represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, which argues their free-speech rights have been violated.
The district "has implemented an Orwellian speech code policy that is vague, overbroad, provides for the unfettered discretion of government actors in suppressing speech, and suppresses the discussion of constitutionally protected viewpoints," says the suit, filed in U.S. District Court for eastern Pennsylvania.
Although the district placed restrictions on the Bible Club, it had been more lenient with the Downingtown Gay Straight Alliance, allowing that group to put up "numerous large posters" at the school, the complaint states.
"Religious speech should not be treated differently," said Randall Wenger, an attorney working on the case for ADF.
The suit seeks to prevent the district from prohibiting religious expression, speech and assembly, seeks a declaration that its policies are unconstitutional, and seeks damages for violations of constitutional rights.
A school district official did not return calls seeking comment.