May public schools display religious symbols?
Yes. Public school officials may display religious symbols such as a crèche or nativity scene without offending the Constitution if they have a clear educational reason for doing so. The Supreme Court has held that a nativity scene display is constitutional if displayed for legitimate secular purposes, such as to celebrate the holiday and to depict the origins of the holiday.1 Lower federal courts have also allowed public schools to include religious and Christian symbols in Christmas displays, school calendars, and holiday programs.2 In a recent case, a court held that the school’s holiday display and song program, which contained religious symbols, books, and songs, did not violate the Establishment Clause.3 Footnotes 1Lynch, 465 U.S. at 681. 2See, e.g., Sechler v. State College Area Sch. Dist., 121 F. Supp. 2d 439 (M.D. Pa. 2000); Clever v. Cherry Hill Twp. Bd. of Educ., 838 F. Supp. 929 (D.N.J. 1993). 3Sechler, 121 F. Supp. 2d at 453. back to top • Do students have a constitutional
