Moldy Christmas fruitcake

MichNews tries to regift some moldy Christmas fruitcake.

Columnist J. Grant Swank, Jr, goes into full persecution mode in his November 28, 2005, column, No Christmas Colors in Plano, Texas.

Swank quotes American [sic] Defense Fund Senior Counsel Gary McCaleb: "School officials have gone so far as to prohibit students from wearing red and green at their ‘winter break’ parties because they claim they are Christmas colors. Even the plates and napkins must be white."

And then we're off to the courts: "Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund and Liberty Legal Institute filed a federal civil rights lawsuit today against the Plano Independent School District for a discriminatory policy that censors the Christmas religious expression of students and their parents." [emph added]

No surprise, really. Except that the lawsuit was filed in December 2004, according to the Alliance Defense Fund's own press release. Oh, and the press release features all the same quotes from the hyperventilating Mr. McCaleb.

Just for fun, visit the Plano Independent School District's website. There you'll find photos of a 2005 Christmas Party, complete with a decorated Christmas tree and green tablecloths. And a cute collection of Christmas sayings and superstitions. And books and background information on Christmas celebrations in other cultures. Here's a link to the various mentions of "Christmas" in the school district's website.

I'm still rummaging around the web to see whatever happened to Jonathan Morgan, et al., v. the Plano Independent School District, et al. In the meantime, I've sent an e-mail to Mr. Swank — minus holiday greetings.