Flower Mound High School Censors "Jesus" From Club Sponsor's Logo

FLOWER MOUND, Tex., Oct. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Today, national religious liberty law firm First Liberty Institute sent a demand letter to Flower Mound High School (FMHS) on behalf of a local parent whose business logo was censored because it included the word "Jesus."

"The government censored a small business owner's logo, simply because it mentioned Jesus," Jeremy Dys, Senior Counsel for First Liberty Institute, says. "That's pure religious discrimination and it's against the law."

Read First Liberty's demand letter to Flower Mound High School

When FMHS asked local businesses to sponsor the school's bass fishing club, FMHS parent Wess Jones readily agreed. Jones, the owner of the boat repair company 1st Choice Marine, paid a sponsorship fee in exchange for his company's logo to be featured on the club's website and jerseys for the next four years. View potential sponsor letter

After Mr. Jones provided his company logo to the school, a school official said that they could not use the business's slogan because it could put the school "in real hot water." The company's slogan, which is incorporated into the logo, is "It's not about us, it's all about Jesus." View email correspondence

To Mr. Jones' surprise, not only did the school strip his logo of the slogan, but they invented an entirely new logo for him, without his consent or permission, which they placed on the fishing club's website. View screenshot of website

"I just wanted to support my daughter's bass fishing team," Jones says. "I was shocked to realize that my sponsorship wasn't welcome simply because it included the word 'Jesus.'"

"The government often thinks it can, or should, censor speech just because it's religious. But that's not true," Dys says. "The law requires the government to be neutral toward the religious speech of others. If they'll allow a non-religious logo, the must allow a religious logo. Flower Mound High School failed to follow the law and they must be held accountable."

First Liberty asked FMHS to immediately remove the "illegitimate logo" on the FMHS Bass Fishing website and replace it with the correct logo, along with providing written assurances that the correct logo will be used on the club's jerseys and website during the next club fishing season.

Read more about the case at FirstLiberty.org/1stChoiceMarine

About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.

SOURCE First Liberty Institute