A Colorado mother is suing her childrens’ school district for banning her from the building. The reason? While visiting her children at lunch, Jessie Pool pulled out a deck of oracle cards to do a reading.
The principal decided this was inappropriate behavior in the school, and interrupted her. In the following days, she received a letter from the superintendent, banning her from the building. The letter specifically calls out her oracle deck as the reason for her ban.
Now Pool is suing, claiming religious discrimination.
Her attorney, Igor Raykin, is a former teacher who specializes in school law. He points out that if she had read a Bible, it is unlikely that she would have even been interrupted, much less banned from the building.
Pool says that reading cards is integral to her faith, and being banned over it is a civil rights violation. While the lawsuit is specific to her situation, it will likely have far-reaching results if it actually goes to court, offering case law that says that parents may openly practice their faith while in their childrens’ school.