Student Banned From Wearing Rosary Beads to Avoid Confusion: Fair?

I have to say that the policy, if consistently applied, is fair and necessary. I will echo what Willie has said elsewhere. Gang activity is real and 'colors" can be other than bandannas or jackets.

I personally think it is unfair. Though, I wouldn't go to a school that didn't allow those things. I guess I'll have to watch out for the rosary beads...those kids might be confused...or in a gang. :/

The Liberal desire to suppress any form of Christianity has begun to get out of hand.

I'm not even a Christian and I can see that plain as day.

Really?

First I wasn't aware that catholics were considered a gang...

Second, I believe we have what is called freedom of religion. Does that not violate his Constitutional rights?

Only if he wasn't allowed to throw his Muslim prayer rug on the floor.

they aren't a gang. there are gangs that wear rosaries (like a gang symbol)there are also gangs who's symbol is the virgin mary . it doesn't make them religious.
(im not taking up for the school btw, I think they robbed him of religious freedom. I'm just clarifying.)

First Amendment grants us freedom of religion and it is the fault of the school that they don't know that a rosary is all about!!! What bothers me about the rosary is when NonCatholics wear it to make a fashion statement, that is NOT COOL!!!

When they first banned them where I work, I got all up on my soapbox about religious freedom and freedom of expression and whatnot. Then some of my students wised me up. It's for real. There are gangs, especially Latino gangs, that are using rosary beads as identifiers. A kid who wears one for something other than gang related reasons may be innocent, and within his constitutional rights, but he's also taking a big risk - he could be mistaken for a gang member by someone from a rival gang, and get jumped.

It's important that schools keep all gang identifiers out of schools - tags, colors, jewelry, etc. If a gang member wants an education, he should be required to prove that he is willing to leave gang activity and gang affiliation outside the school walls. It's the only way to keep the school (relatively) safe for everyone.

For what it's worth, I know what I'm talking about here. About 15% of the student body at my school is affiliated with one of the major adult street gangs.

I am a little torn... in school districts with high gang activity schools do have to be extra precausious however they make pink plastic rosaries they make them made with natural wood and stones they make them with sergical steel and all can be had just about anywhere...

I am also disappointed wearing a rosary like a necklace is actually inapproprate. Rosaries are not jewlery they are more often worn at the hip on a belt or around the wrist when they are being carrried outside of a case or pouch. And if his rosary is a heirloom he shouldn't be risking it getting snagged and breaking.

Although I am not a Christian I still have the ivory and cherrywood rosary taht was my great great grandmothers I have it in a protective case and when my child marrys I will hand it down to her as a "something old" (my daughter is a tradtional catholic) but I think she will likely still use her cheep one for every day mass and prayer because the rosery is fragile

The whole "rosaries may indicate gang membership" thing sounds like an excuse.

The "gang membership" thing doesn't seem to be what the school is really concerned with here. They're just seizing on that as an excuse to silence religious expression, which the secularists running our schools these days just can't stand.

Having said that, though, as Catholics we are not meant to wear rosaries -- unless we are a member of a religious order that wears them on its habit. Rosaries are meant to be carried, as well as to use as aids in prayer -- they are not meant to be worn as apparel, not even in memory of a deceased family member.

It's correct. I don't know what's going on in Minnesota, but in Phoenix, and in L.A. gangs, especially Latino gangs, are using different colored rosaries to denote affiliation. They're usually quite large in comparison to what I was used to while growing up Catholic, and I've seen silver, black, black and silver, and brown. Most schools have pretty strict policies against wearing any sort of gear that can connote gang membership.

Real Catholics don't wear rosaries as jewelry, by the way. Members of some religious orders hang them from their belts, but no one would wear one around their neck.

If what goes on in Phoenix is going on in Minnesota, this boy should consider himself lucky that the school stopped him from wearing the beads before some gang-bangers decided they didn't like it.

but I'd bet they would let a muslim wear head gear

Students should be able to wear jewelry that reflects their religion, be it Pagan, Monotheistic or anything else.

It's school staff that has to be careful not to promote their religion at work.

The same folks saying this is unfair would rush to prevent a student for wearing something proclaiming their Muslim faith, or god forbid (pun intended) an Atheist t-shirt.

How on earth does that cause confusion ? seriously

Home-School!!!!!

Is there a gang that uses rosary beads as its symbol? (Besides the Catholic church, I mean.) I'm not Christian, but I don't see why wearing religious symbols should be a problem.

A couple of things:

a) The Catholic Church does not "use rosary beads as its symbol." The beads are used for those who voluntarily choose to pray the Rosary. (Praying the Rosary, while highly encouraged, is not required of Catholics.)

The beads are not used as a "symbol" of the Church, or of anything for that matter. They are an aid in prayer, nothing more.

b) The Catholic Church, as I'm sure you know, is not a "gang."

"b) The Catholic Church, as I'm sure you know, is not a "gang.""

It sure runs like one.

Poor word choice on my part. Sorry. I know the rosary beads aren't the symbol of the Catholic Church, but they are a symbol of Catholic faith. I didn't really mean to imply either that the Catholic Church in 2012 is a gang. (Not to say it wasn't 500 years ago.)

If he wants to wear Rosary beads to honor his Grandma than he should. The school should stop crying like babies.

I will keep his Grandma in my prayers.
Have a good one !

It was for his safety. Coon Rapids is a northern suburb of Minneapolis. Northern Minneapolis is kind of an unsafe place with gangs violence.

[So off topic but your picture is Tarzan's mom isn't it?]

Haha, yes it is Tarzan's mom.

More and more Spanish gang members are wearing rosarys around their neck and some even hanging.g them on their front door. If its a rule of the school for this reason, then,,,,, I DO however feel sorry for the boy and I'm glad he can at least keep it in his pocket. God Bless his grandmother.

Completely stupid. Explain what connection rosary beads have with gangs.

Where we live is a symbol of which gang you are in depending on the color of the beads. If you drive in the "hood" you can look at the doors of the homes and tell by the rosary hanging on the door and color of it, what gang is in that neighborhood. Why do they use rosarys? Who knows. I think its to pretend they are catholic and religious. But judging by what they DO, that's a hard pill to swallow.

Wow, I wasn't aware of that. Probably a good idea for him not to wear it to school then.

Yea, I know its pretty bad here. In those neighborhoods, you hear gunshots all the time. That is why we moved away. Once we found out what it was all about, we were gone.

Well not to be rude but its a lot different then back when you were in school. A lot different.

I know when i was younger in grade school, I would get a smack on the bottom if I did bad things. It worked on me.

but if[...]flopped a prayer rung on the floor that would be OK.

after all, Catholics do tend to band together when treating heretics with these "disciplinary" techniques (all of which are an undisputed matter of history): burning at the stake, disemboweling, torture on the rack, spikes into both eyes then burning alive, being forced to sit on a huge pointed spike until it split their bodies apart starting at the rectum, and many other things ... and such violent acts by a band of like-minded individuals does resemble gang activity after all ...

If you don't like it start going againat gangs or stop whining either way is better then claiming "It's liberal atheist scumbags" like one of the prejudice pricks below answered.

Get rid of the gangs not the beads. The fact that we can't wear certain colors or clothes because of gangs says alot.