'Jesus loves you — and so do I'

In Katy, a judge barred the school district from preventing religious-themed valentines in classroom parties today, ensuring Americans the hard-earned right to commemorate a pagan fertility festival with messages about God.

"Kids are being told they can't mention God," said Kelly Shackelford, chief legal counsel for the Plano-based Liberty Legal Institute, a legal organization specializing in religious freedom and First Amendment cases that is representing the families in the lawsuit.

Shackelford said that the lawsuit is asking for a permanent injunction to stop any discrimination against a student because of religious expression.

In a statement Monday, the district said that it was "never the intent of the schools in question to limit what messages their students could exchange at tomorrow's parties."

Houstonist made a lot of valentines when we were kids, but we don't remember religion ever being an issue in them — we were mostly trying to spell "February" right. We have a sneaking suspicion this lawsuit is just another approach to the prayer in schools/Pledge of Allegiance debate. Maybe some red construction paper and lace will lead to cooperation ...