Cheryl Torres
EDL 517
Summer 2008
Case Problem 2 – Legal Brief
Citation: Sechler v. State College Area School District, 121 F.Supp.2d 439 (M.D. Pa. 2000)
Topic: Winter Holiday Celebrations
Relief Sought: Sechler brought action because at the “Winter Holiday Program”, he complains that non-Christian religions were given a higher priority, while Christianity was given a lesser priority and almost ignored.
Issues: (1) No Christian books or symbols were displayed. (2) Symbols from other religions were displayed. (3) During the program a variety of secular and seasonal songs were sung, but none dealing with Christian history.
Facts: This holiday program promoted various religious celebrations and displays were set up showing a variety of secular practices and secular items. The Plaintiff claims that there was a “giving tree”, and a table display of the other secular/religious items with a banner stating “Happy Holidays”. Yet, Sechler claims that any Christian items were few to none, or even absent from the display.
Finding of the Trial Court: The defendants, State College Area School District’s motion to dismiss the complaint was granted.
Finding of the Appellate Court: No appeal has been presented.
Reasoning: The display and program at the school were consistent with usable Supreme Court and Third Circuit precedent, which says that such displays send a message of “inclusion and celebrates freedom to choose one’s own beliefs”. Since there was no favoring one religion over another or as favoring religion over non-religion, the entity is conveying a legitimate secular message. The courts found that the “Winter Holiday program from displays found acceptable in Lynch, County of Allegheny, and in Schundler. They also found that the program was consistent with the principles applied in Spohn. The court said that Saxe could have the opportunity to amend his complaint to allege a violation of the First Amendment, since the complaint as it was written was insufficient. The court did decide that Saxe is not “entitled to a display of his choosing or to the inclusion of religious symbols in a secular display relating to the same holiday.”