A high school in Texas initially refused the help of a Christian businessman who wanted to use Jesus' name in a sponsorship logo, but eventually changed its decision after being called out by a religious freedom group.
According to a report from The Christian Broadcasting Network, the Flower Mound High School, north of Dallas – Fort Worth, recently sought sponsorship for its bass fishing club.
Christian business owner Wess Jones, whose daughter is part of the club, agreed to donate money to the school, under the condition that his logo be placed at the back of the team's jersey.
The text of the logo states, "It's not about us, it's all about Jesus." This prompted the high school to say no to Jones' sponsorship, saying that including the Lord's name on the team uniform will get them "in real hot water."
First Liberty Institute, a group advocating religious freedom, however got wind of the incident and sent a demand letter to the school. Jeremy Dys, senior counsel of the institute, called the school's move "pure religious discrimination" and "against the law."
"The government censored a small business owner's logo, simply because it mentioned Jesus," Dys said in a statement.
Because of the demand letter, the Flower Mound High School changed its decision, allowing the logo of Jones' business with Jesus' name on its team's uniform.
Dys expressed gratitude to the school for "taking swift action to correct this situation."
"They are a great example to school districts everywhere of how to work with parents and children to ensure that First Amendment freedoms are protected in school," the religious freedom group head said.
Jones was also glad that the Flower Mound High School changed its decision. "I am very pleased that the school district decided to do the right thing," he said.
