Chastity ring centre of new school religion row

Chastity ring centre of new school religion row [Excerpts]

A Christian teenager will go to the high court this summer to challenge the decision of her school to ban her from wearing a celibacy ring on the grounds that it is her basic human right to express her religious beliefs.

Lydia Playfoot, 16, will argue that the school is being discriminatory because it allows pupils from other faiths to wear religious adornments. Muslim and Sikh pupils at her all-girls secondary school in West Sussex are allowed to wear headscarves, trousers and kara bracelets.

The case of the teenager, who attends Millais school in Horsham, has the support of the Lawyers Christian Fellowship - an organisation that represents 2,000 Christian lawyers from across the UK.

Its public policy officer, Andrea Williams, said today: "This case is about Lydia's freedom of expression of her religious beliefs. It's about equality and about creating a level playing field as Muslim and Sikh pupils are allowed to manifest their faith through religious ornaments and she has been prohibited."

The case is expected to go before the high court before the summer recess.

http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,2079466,00.html