Concord Community Schools is being sued in federal court over the live Nativity scene that Concord High School has featured in its annual Christmas Spectacular concert for decades.
The scene in question happens at the end of the concert. Students act as Mary, Joseph and the three wise men from the Holy Bible and the performance ends with a reading from the Bible.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union claim that the scene is an unconstitutional endorsement of religion that is illegal for a public school, according to our news partners at The Elkhart Truth.
The two agencies jointly filed the lawsuit on behalf of a student and his father. The agencies seek damages of $1 each and legal fees, as well as “other proper relief,” the Truth reported.
The lawsuit comes after the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to Concord schools earlier this year threatening legal action if the school did not stop featuring the performance during the concert. Concord Superintendent John Trout said during a meeting Sept. 8 that the district would continue including the Nativity scene.
- RELATED: Nativity scene in Concord High School holiday concert deemed ‘illegal’ by Freedom From Religion Foundation, Sept. 1, 2015
Read more information about the case and read the entire lawsuit in the full story from The Elkhart Truth.
- RELATED: Nativity scene in Concord’s annual Christmas Spectacular will continue to be featured, Sept. 9, 2015
