Law & Courts News in Brief

Justices Decline to Hear Case on Teacher’s Religious Postings

By Mark Walsh — October 16, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The U.S. Supreme Court declined last week to hear the appeal of a Virginia teacher who claimed that his principal had wrongfully removed religious items from the bulletin board in the teacher’s public school classroom.

William Lee, who teaches Spanish at Tabb High School in the 12,800-student York County, Va., district, alleged that in 2004, his principal required him to remove such items as a news article about White House staff members who regularly gathered for Bible study and a poster about the presidentially proclaimed National Day of Prayer.

Mr. Lee sued the district, arguing that it had infringed on his right of free speech. He lost in both federal district and appellate court. The appellate court ruled that the teacher’s classroom postings were curricular in nature and thus were subject to oversight by school authorities.

The justices declined without comment to hear the teacher’s appeal in Lee v. York County School Division (Case No. 07-140).

See Also

For background, previous stories, and Web links read Religion in Schools.

A version of this article appeared in the October 17, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Evidence & Impact: Maximizing ROI in Professional Learning
  Is your professional learning driving real impact? Learn data-driven strategies to design effective PL.
Content provided by New Teacher Center
Budget & Finance Webinar School Finance in an Uncertain Age
Navigating the new school finance reality? Get key insights from the 2025 Allovue Education Finance Survey in partnership.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Law & Courts Supreme Court Case Could Reshape Landscape for Charter and Religious Schools
The U.S. Supreme Court on April 30 will take up the much-debated case of a Roman Catholic charter school in Oklahoma.
9 min read
Supreme Court 25091823131249
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen in Washington on April 1, 2025. The court on April 30 will take up a much-debated case about whether a state must allow a religious charter school.
Law & Courts Judge Casts Doubt on Trump’s Authority to Gut Education Dept. Staff
Twenty-one states and a coalition of unions and school districts are challenging the president's dismantling of the Education Department.
3 min read
The U.S. Department of Education in Washington pictured on Friday, March 28, 2025, during a rally to support departing employees.
The U.S. Department of Education in Washington pictured on Friday, March 28, 2025, during a rally to support departing employees. A federal judge on Friday questioned the Trump administration's arguments in favor of dismantling the federal agency.
Moriah Ratner for Education Week
Law & Courts Supreme Court to Weigh Discrimination Standard for Some Special Education Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider what legal standard must be met for proving discrimination against students with disabilities.
9 min read
The Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 17, 2024.
The U.S. Supreme Court as seen on Dec. 17, 2024. The court will hear arguments on April 28 in a case about the legal standard for discrimination for two federal disability-rights laws and how they play out in schools.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Law & Courts Trump Can't Enforce Anti-DEI Directives in Schools, 3 Judges Say
Three judges, including two Trump appointees, said the administration had overstepped its authority in its efforts to rid schools of DEI.
7 min read
Sarah Hinger (center), deputy director of the ACLU Racial Justice Program, takes questions from reporters after oral arguments in a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of New Hampshire seeking to block the Trump administration from requiring public schools to end DEI programs on April 17, 2025.
Sarah Hinger (center), deputy director of the ACLU racial justice program, takes questions from reporters after oral arguments in a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of New Hampshire seeking to block the Trump administration from requiring public schools to end DEI programs on April 17, 2025. Two federal judges on Thursday issued orders limiting the Trump administration's ability to enforce its anti-DEI directives to schools and colleges.
Courtesy of Ethan DeWitt/New Hampshire Bulletin