The father of a Tennessee student has filed a lawsuit against the Overton County Board of Education after his daughter’s school ordered her to change a shirt which read "Homosexuality is a Sin-1 Corinthians 6:9-10."
 
Richard Penkoski accused the school district of violating his daughter’s right to free speech and freedom of religion under the U.S. Constitution. At the center of the lawsuit is the Overton County School District’s student handbook, which states, "Clothing with offensive messages, including advertisements for drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sexual connotations or double meanings is unacceptable.” The student, referred to in the case as B.A.P., claims that the handbook does not define sexual connotations or the other descriptions and that she was "acting to spread awareness of her views regarding political, religious, and social topics." 
 
The lawsuit also claims that the school district's censorship places a burden on B.A.P. not imposed on other individuals, as the classroom where she was wearing the shirt had “a pro-homosexual symbol” on display. "By forcing Plaintiff B.A.P. to choose between abandoning her religious beliefs in order to receive an education and, alternatively, abiding by her religious beliefs only to be demerited and disciplined, the School District has imposed a substantial burden on Plaintiff," the suit states.