Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Religion & Law Blogs -> Religion Clause

Religion & Law

: Religion Clause

Subjective Chill On High Schooler's Expression Does Not Create Standing

By Howard M. Friedman

Last week, an Illinois federal district court handed down another decision in the long running challenge to rules in a suburban Chicago high school that were invoked to prevent a student, Alexander Nuxoll, from wearing a T-shirt and button carrying the slogan "Be Happy, Not Gay." (See prior posting.) In Zamecnik v. Indian Prairie School District #204 Board of Education, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23548 (ND IL, March 24, 2009), the court held that Nuxoll has standing to continue to pursue this claim. However he lacks standing to assert added claims that he wishes to "bring his bible to school, distribute cards with bible verses during non-instructional time, and discuss his religious beliefs critical of homosexual behavior with classmates during non-instructional time." There was no showing that Nuxoll ever attempted to carry out such activities or that officials ever interfered with them. It is not enough to allege subjective chilling of expression based merely on the fact that existing rules could be interpreted to prohibit these activities.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on March 29, 2009 (boomark / email).