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Wausau, WI—The Wausau West High School’s Master Singers Christmas Concert will go on as originally planned. Liberty Counsel provided a legal opinion and counsel to the school officials about a concert that contains both religious and secular holiday songs.

Earlier this year the choir director, Phil Buch, was directed to suspend choir practice or “balance” every religious Christmas carol with four secular songs. When Liberty Counsel stepped in on behalf of the students and teacher, the school board reversed the directive and will allow the concert to go on as originally planned.

In the 1978 case of Florey v. Sioux Falls School District, an atheist parent objected to “Silent Night,” but the court of appeals sided with the school district.

In 1995, a U.S. district court dismissed Bauchman v. West High School, finding that “music has a purpose in education beyond the mere words or notes in conveying a mood, teaching cultures and history, and broadening understanding of arts.” The court sided with the school district and rejected the plaintiff’s argument that the religious song should not be included.

In Doe v. Duncanville Independent School District, a federal court held that a public high school choir’s adaption of “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” as its theme song did not violate the Establishment Clause and was constitutional.

A Rasmussen national survey found that over 80% of Americans think religious holidays should be celebrated in public school.

“Christian and religious viewpoints should not be excluded from holiday songs, and the religious aspects of Christmas should not be censored from public schools or the public square,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel.

Today, Liberty Counsel launched its Eleventh Annual “Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign,” which will educate and, if necessary, litigate to make sure that religious viewpoints of Christmas are not censored. In addition to providing educational materials, Liberty Counsel publishes a “Naughty and Nice” list, which catalogs retailers who either censor (“naughty”) or recognize (“nice”) Christmas. The list is compiled from information gathered by individual consumers and is updated whenever new information is received. Liberty Counsel wants to give the gift of Christmas back to those who support it.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.
 

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