ORLANDO - A high school avoided a possible lawsuit Wednesday when officials agreed to let two floats appear in its homecoming parade tonight.
Officials at Dr. Phillips High School had been concerned that the floats - one depicting the toppling of a Saddam Hussein statue and the other urging students to "Let Jesus Rock Your Night Away" - might offend some students. The floats are being sponsored by the Young Republicans Club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, respectively.
Students had contacted Liberty Counsel, a civil liberties legal group based in Orlando, about suing the school for infringing on freedom of expression. But the students dropped their plans after school officials gave the green light for the floats Wednesday morning.
"Students will be able to express the essence of their clubs and maintain proper decorum for our high school event," principal Gene Trochinski said in a statement.
The Young Republicans float will have students in black T-shirts with "Evil" printed on them bowing before a statue of Hussein. Other students in club T-shirts plan to chase the "evil" students away with silly string, then topple the statue.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes plans a float featuring students holding signs with the words "sex," "suicide," "depression" and "drugs." Another student will walk up to them, point skyward, cross his arms and then point to the students holding the signs. The students then will tear up the signs.
