Lawsuit says PA school violated free-speech rights

[Judi Lynn]

Lawsuit says PA school violated free-speech rights
Mon May 23, 2005 5:51 PM ET


By Jon Hurdle

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A Pennsylvania school district violated the free-speech rights of a parent who was prevented from reading the Bible to her son's kindergarten class, an attorney for the woman said on Monday.
The parent, Donna Busch, has filed a lawsuit against the Marple Newtown School District near Philadelphia, claiming her constitutional rights were breached when a school principal stopped her reading from the Bible in a class last October.

Busch, of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, attended her son Wesley's class as part of "Me Week," which gave parents an opportunity to read aloud from their child's favorite book.
(snip)

Ed Partridge, president of the school's board of directors, said Busch would have broken the law if she read the Bible because it would have amounted to a promotion of religion.

He accused the Rutherford Institute of seeking publicity. "Their goal is to generate national media headlines. They don't have any care about our community," he said.
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