The parents of a third grader in Simpson County have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the school district after their daughter was ordered to remove her “Jesus Loves Me” face mask.
 
Alliance Defending Freedom brought the suit on Monday on behalf of the third grader, Lydia Booth. The school later announced a policy that prohibited the wearing of masks that are "political, religious…or deemed distractive to the school environment."
 
“When the school is discriminating against individuals who want to wear masks expressing religious beliefs but are allowing students and faculty to wear masks expressing messages with other beliefs, that’s not allowed by the First Amendment,” said Alliance Defending Freedom senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer.
 
Lydia's mother, Jennifer Booth, reached out to the school multiple times prior to filing the lawsuit, seeking alternative solutions to the issue. The school district responded by sending the family a copy of its district COVID-19 plan, which included the retroactive changes it had made following the incident in question. This included the ban on religious messaging. 
 
The lawsuit is seeking a court order preventing the district from enforcing its policy. Until that time, the student is following the school’s rule, having been threatened with suspension for failure to comply.

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