Release: Attacks on Christmas in Texas Update!
Austin, TX — This Christmas season, Texas Values is continuing the tradition of the “Merry Christmas Texas” project, which empowers public schools and individuals to use their constitutional rights to freely acknowledge and educate students about Christmas. In 2013, the Merry Christmas Law (H.B. 308), authored by State Representative Dwayne Bohac, officially became law with support from Republicans and Democrats in the Texas Legislature. This law protects the religious liberty of children, parents, teachers, and school staff to acknowledge Christmas on school grounds without fear of censorship, persecution, or litigation. The ‘Merry Christmas Texas’ project was launched shortly after this bill was made law to continue to spread awareness on First Amendment rights, and also includes protecting Christmas from attack in Texas in other places outside of the public school classroom as well.
Jonathan Saenz, President and Attorney for Texas Values, released the following statement:
“Saying ‘Merry Christmas’ and displaying symbols about Christmas in schools and in public is fully protected in law. So, please our message is simple – don’t be a Grinch, just follow the law.”
To learn more about the Merry Christmas Law and the rights that teachers, staff members, parents and students have at Texas public schools when it comes to the topic of Christmas, visit MerryChristmasTexas.com for more information.
Christmas encompasses the story of Jesus Christ and has been recognized as a federal holiday in the United States since the 1870s. Yet, the 21st century has been filled with many ongoing attacks on the celebration, acknowledgement and education of Christmas, a federal holiday, in public schools. Our First Amendment rights guarantee that teachers and students have a right to celebrate and express their beliefs when it comes to Christmas greetings, decorations, and the meaning of the holiday.
Christmas has been recognized as a federal holiday by the United States since the 1870s. Landmark U. S. Supreme Court cases have made it clear that such expressions and displays are permissible. Since the passage of the Merry Christmas Law, Texas Values has helped defeat efforts across the state to attack Christmas, including an attempt in Austin ISD to ban high-school students from singing Christmas carols and attempts in Frisco ISD to ban any “reference to Christmas” or “red/green Christmas trees” in elementary schools. Other Texas school districts have seen long and costly court cases over Christmas expressions, including the famous “Candy Cane Case” from Plano ISD.
In 2016, Texas Values helped defend a Killeen school employee’s Christmas decoration that included a quote from the movie character “Linus” in the Charlie Brown Christmas case. The school district directed a public-school employee of Killeen ISD to take down her decoration while allowing other displays that represented other non-Christmas holidays to remain up. Texas Values and Ken Paxton’s Attorney General team defended the poster in court and won.
Also, in 2021, the Texas Legislature passed a law (SB 581) that prohibits Home Owners Associations (HOAs) from making rules that restrict homeowners from having religious displays on their own property.
Some attacks on Christmas in Texas have taken place outside of the public school classroom as well. In 2022, we saw the City of Taylor allow Drag Queens in the Christmas parade, and soon after, the city passed an ordinance that effectively banned Christians from participating in the Christmas parade.
In 2023, we saw Carroll ISD (DFW Area) make a change to return calling the school break in December “Christmas and New Year’s Break.”
Texas Values is promoting an audio clip about the Merry Christmas Texas Law. You can listen to the clip here and we encourage media outlets to use this clip.
To interview a member of the Texas Values policy team about the “Merry Christmas Texas” project and First Amendment rights, please contact Ashley at media@txvalues.org or 737-314-2450 (m).
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About Texas Values
Texas Values is the largest statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. More information is available at txvalues.org.