Kountze (Texas) district hopes new policy will end dispute over religious expression

In the aftermath of a controversy over cheerleaders' use of banners with religious themes, officials in the Kountze (Texas) Independent School District hope a revised policy will settle the issue. The Beaumont Enterprise says the policy, approved by the school board, would allow the use of such banners, but admistrators would have to approve them. School officials hope the policy will resolve a lawsuit over the dispute. Cheerleaders contend that the district's attempts to prohibit the banners violated their rights to free speech. Those opposed to the banners say they are an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. A judge issued an injunction last year stopping the district from prohibiting the banners until a full hearing on the lawsuit is held.