NY teacher sues over classroom religious displays

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - A New York school teacher is suing her district after being told to remove religious displays from her classroom or risk being fired.

Joelle Silver teaches science at Cheektowaga Central High School in suburban Buffalo. She describes herself as a devout Christian.

A federal lawsuit filed Jan. 10 accuses the district of being overtly hostile toward her religion and violating her constitutional rights.

The legal action follows a June letter from Superintendent Dennis Kane directing Silver to remove several posters and other displays quoting Bible verses. Kane says the letter followed a complaint from a student to the Freedom from Religion Foundation, a Madison, Wis.-based watchdog group.

He says the district had to act after being advised by consultants that Silver was violating the separation of church and state.