Federal Judge Paul Brown Thursday ordered the Plano School District to allow students to distribute “religious viewpoint gifts” at school parties on Friday.

The ruling came a day after four families of Plano students sued, accusing the district of banning Christmas and religious expression from classrooms.

The judge said he's convinced the plaintiffs would suffer
"irreparable" damage and "immediate" injury if he didn't act.

District lawyer Richard Abernathy said he respected the judge's
order, but said it wasn’t necessary.

Abernathy said the district recently decided to allow the
distribution of all materials, religious or otherwise, at the
school parties.

Hiram Sasser with the Liberty Legal Institute, which represented the families, said the judge's order was needed because the district's written policy prevents dissemination of religious materials in the classroom.

Meanwhile the Justice Department said Thursday it is investigating the Plano school system.

Click Here For Justice Department Web Site

That word came in a letter to the Plano-based religious rights
law firm representing the plaintiffs that said the preliminary inquiry concerns the school district's "alleged refusal to permit students to distribute religious messages during
parties and on school property."

Click Here For Liberty Legal Institute Web Site

“Though the DOJ has made no determination about the merits of this case, their inquiry is certainly a significant development,” said Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel Gary McCaleb.

“We are pleased that DOJ officials are looking closely at this situation.”

The suit alleged that the district engaged in "unconstitutional and illegal actions" by prohibiting students from handing out candy canes and pencils with religious messages and banning red and green napkins at holiday parties.

The Liberty Legal Institute said the policy prohibited a third grader from passing out goody bags that included candy canes with religious messages while “secular gifts from other students were permitted” and it says a young girl was prohibited from passing out pencils with “Jesus” engraved on them.

The institute says Plano school officials sent home a letter last week requesting parents not to send children to school with anything red or green during the holiday season.

Click Here For Plano ISD Web Site