A Killeen Independent School District (KISD) staff member in Austin, Texas was ordered by school officials to remove her handmade decoration that depicted a scene from the classic holiday tale “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Dedra Shannon, a nurse’s aide at KISD, was told to remove the handmade six-foot poster on her door that contains a picture of the famous Peanuts comic strip character, Linus, quoting a Bible verse as his interpretation of the true meaning of Christmas. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit to have Ms. Shannon’s door decoration restored, arguing the state's 2013 so-called Merry Christmas law means schools can't "silence a biblical reference to Christmas." Paxton’s intervention states that the inclusion of Bible verses or religious messages on student or teacher-sponsored holiday decorations does not violate any law. Paxton also welcomed a decision from Judge Jack Jones who ruled that the display should be put back up with an added line calling it "Ms. Shannon's Christmas message."


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