12-year-old girl banned from wearing rosary necklace at school; she's told it's a gang symbol in her small Nebraska town

By Michael Zennie
Updated: 19:08 EST, 3 October 2011

School administrators in a Nebraska town of 26,000 told a middle school girl to take off her cross necklace because it looks too much like a rosary, which they say is being used by gang members.

Twelve-year-old Elizabeth Cary says her necklace is a reminder of her faith. And she vowed to stand up for what she believes in and fight the Fremont, Neb., school district, where she is a sixth grader.

The local Catholic archdioceses has condemned the decision to ban rosaries from schools and says administrators should be smart enough to tell which students are at risk for gang activity.

Elizabeth Carey

Insulted: Elizabeth Carey's principal told her she couldn't wear her cross necklace any more because 'gangsters' were wearing rosaries

'We ought to be able to figure out whether she is really in a gang. And if she’s not, why would she be punished for what ought to be her right of religious freedom and religious expression?' asked Rev. Joseph Taphorn.

Taphorn told KETV-7 in Omaha, Neb., that the ban on rosaries is an infringement on Elizabeth's rights to freely practice her religion. 

'It makes me feel like I want to scream really bad,' Elizabeth told the TV station. 

Superintendent

'Gang symbol': Fremont schools Superintendent Steve Sexton said police told him gang members were using rosaries for gang affiliation

Fremont schools Superintendent Steve Sexton said the district banned rosaries after police told him local gang members were using the traditional Catholic prayer beads for gang identification.

Incidents of rosaries being used as gang items have also been reported in Arizona, Oregon and Texas.

Little Elizabeth said she doesn't even know what a gang is and doesn't understand why the school won't let her wear her necklace any more.

'I’m deciding to stand up for Jesus and do whatever I can to stop this,' she said

Rosary

Necklace: This is one of several pieces of Christian jewellery little Elizabeth wears to school

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