Art censorship

Texas, USA - A letter warning of a potential federal lawsuit by the Liberty Legal Institute stems from a Texas college's alleged censorship in one of the art classes. The controversy arose when a student was allegedly prohibited from making crucifixes in a not-for-credit ceramics class. According to the student, he was told by an Eastfield College instructor that he was not allowed to make religious items. "The whole point of art is to express who you are," said student Joe Mitchell, aged 69 and a retired auto worker. "I felt humiliated and that my spirituality was being demeaned."

The Eastfield ceramic's program chairman issued a memo which stated making religious icons "demeans the goals of" the program, which seeks to encourage original, creative work by students. The college's policy requires all items must be approved in advance by the instructor.

Modern art history is replete with works that would probably violate the school's policy - from Duchamp's fountain (a urinal) to Warhol's soup cans among more famous examples.