Court upholds N.J. district ban on religious songs

A ban on religious holiday songs in the School District of South Orange and Maplewood has been upheld by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia.

The judges ruled Tuesday that administrators may determine which songs they consider appropriate, according to constitutional guidelines, to create a secular and "inclusive" academic environment.

Parent Michael Stratechuk sued the Essex County district in 2004, saying the ban violated the First Amendment's freedom-of-worship provision. His lawyer, Robert Muise, said he would ask the full court to rehear the case and may appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, according to published reports. - AP