College: Students Can't Sell Trees Called 'Christmas'

Religion Today | Updated: Nov 28, 2012

College: Students Can't Sell Trees Called 'Christmas'

A North Carolina community college has been accused of violating the First Amendment rights of students after it told a club they could not use the word "Christmas" to promote a Christmas tree sale, Todd Starnes reports. The BEST Society was planning to sell the Christmas trees to raise money for Angel Tree, an organization that provides Christmas presents to prisoners' children. Club members followed college protocol and submitted forms to promote the sale, with the proposed text reading, "The BEST Society will be selling Christmas trees..." But when the announcement appeared on the college's website and in other venues, every reference to "Christmas trees" had been replaced with "holiday trees." The communications relations director allegedly told the students, "We cannot market your trees in association solely with a Christian event." The Alliance Defending Freedom sent a letter to officials at Western Piedmont Community College, urging them to either reconsider their decision to censor the word "Christmas" or else face a possible lawsuit. "It's ridiculous that anyone would have to think twice about using the word 'Christmas' as part of a Christmas tree sale," said ADF attorney Matt Sharp.



College: Students Can't Sell Trees Called 'Christmas'