First-grader Isaiah Martinez brought candy canes to school so that he could pass them out to all of his classmates as a Christmas gift, but a religious message that was included with the sweet treats has stirred up a lot of controversy in the California school.According to reports, the candy canes Martinez brought to school each contained the message, ³I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness to the Wonder of Jesus and His Great Love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominant force in the universe today.²
When the teacher saw the message that accompanied the candies, the student was allegedly told, ³Jesus is not allowed in school.² The teacher reportedly took the candy canes away, ripped the messages off of them, and gave them back to the student to hand out to his classmates.Now, attorney Robert Tyler says that the boyıs rights to freedom of speech and religion have been infringed and that the family will pursue legal action if the school doesnıt issue a written apology along with a policy change that will, ³prohibit school officials from bullying and intimidating Christian students and religiously affiliated students.²