{"id":90,"date":"2014-08-13T10:08:28","date_gmt":"2014-08-13T15:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/ogc\/?page_id=90"},"modified":"2016-10-24T14:18:51","modified_gmt":"2016-10-24T19:18:51","slug":"holiday-displays","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/holiday-displays\/","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Displays"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"cfct-build-90\" class=\"cfct-build grid\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-md-3 cfct-block\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cfct-module cfct-supplemental\">\n\t\t\t\t    <div class=\"cfct-mod-content hidden-print\">\n<h3 class=\"cfct-mod-title\" id=\"title-cfct-module-2ad3523a5ecf7518f676e27a6c12c601\" hidden-print\">Legal Topics<button type=\"button\" class=\"visible-xs collapsed\" data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                                                data-target=\".menu-cfct-module-2ad3523a5ecf7518f676e27a6c12c601-container\">\n\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Toggle navigation<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"glyphicon glyphicon-chevron-up\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3>    <nav class=\"widget widget_meta\" aria-labelledby=\"title-cfct-module-2ad3523a5ecf7518f676e27a6c12c601\">\n\n        <div class=\"menu-cfct-module-2ad3523a5ecf7518f676e27a6c12c601-container collapse navbar-collapse\"><ul id = \"menu-legal-topics\" class = \"menu nav\"><li id=\"menu-item-120\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-120\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/academic-staff-appointments\/\">Academic Staff Appointments<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-121\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-121\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/ada-employment\/\">ADA \u2013 Employment<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-122\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-122\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/ada-students\/\">ADA \u2013 Students<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-124\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-124\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/concealed-carry\/\">Concealed Carry<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-125\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-125\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/contracts\/\">Contracts<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-126\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-126\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/copyright\/\">Copyright<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-127\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-127\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/discrimination-in-employment\/\">Discrimination in Employment<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-130\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-130\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/fmla\/\">FMLA<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-132\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-132\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/holiday-displays\/\">Holiday Displays<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-133\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-133\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/immigration\/\">Immigration<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-3305\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-3305\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/lawsuits-subpoeanas-service\/\">Lawsuits, Subpoenas, and Service of Process<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-134\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-134\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/open-meetings-law\/\">Open Meetings Law<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-136\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-136\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/sexual-harassment\/\">Sexual Harassment<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-137\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-137\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/tenure-and-appointments\/\">Tenure &amp; Appointments<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>    <\/nav>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-md-9 cfct-block\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cfct-module uwsa-rich-text\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cfct-mod-content copy\"><h3>Display of Christmas Trees and Religious Holiday Symbols on Campus<\/h3>\n<p>As the holiday season approaches, questions naturally arise concerning the permissibility of displaying Christmas trees and other holiday decorations on campus. The concern is that certain types of holiday and religious displays may violate constitutional restrictions respecting the separation of church and state.<\/p>\n<p>This guidance is intended to clarify what types of holiday displays are permissible on university property, including in employee offices and cubicles. If further clarification is needed, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of General Counsel or if you are an employee of UW-Madison or UW-Milwaukee, your respective campus legal office.<\/p>\n<h3>Christmas Trees<\/h3>\n<p>The display of Christmas trees on campus is generally permissible. Courts have recognized that Christmas trees have become simply a secular symbol associated with the winter holiday season. All holiday displays must also be consistent with applicable fire and safety codes. For more information about what those codes require, contact your institution\u2019s safety or risk management office. A list of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/risk-management\/contacts\/\" target=\"_blank\">safety and risk management contacts are available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Nativity Scenes and Menorahs<\/h3>\n<p>The display of nativity scenes and menorahs has generally been upheld by courts against legal challenges if they appear as part of a larger display with a secular purpose, such as the celebration of pluralism and freedom or the promotion of tolerance and respect for diverse customs. However, any holiday display with an overtly religious symbol (such as a nativity scene or a menorah) should include at least one other religious symbol from a different religious tradition. The legal validity of these displays is premised on the notion that they do not represent an endorsement of any particular religion, any religious doctrine, or religion in general.<\/p>\n<p>The university is not required, however, to display any particular symbol of a religious nature requested by students, staff or the public. For example, a public school\u2019s holiday display which included a menorah, crescent and star, Christmas trees and other holiday symbols was permissible, even though it did not include a nativity scene as requested by parents and religious leaders.<\/p>\n<h3>Messages Accompanying Displays<\/h3>\n<p>Any message that might accompany a holiday display should be secular. Courts have upheld messages that celebrate pluralism and liberty and do not promote the observance of any religion.<\/p>\n<h3>Religious Symbols and D\u00e9cor in Employee Offices and Cubicles<\/h3>\n<p>Displays of religious d\u00e9cor and symbols inside employees\u2019 offices and cubicles are generally permissible. In fact, prohibiting the display of religious decorations and symbols may be deemed an infringement on an employee\u2019s constitutional rights of free exercise of religion and free speech. Under certain circumstances, however, restrictions on religious displays may be appropriate such as in the office of a high-ranking university official where the display may be interpreted as an endorsement by the University of a particular religion or religions.<\/p>\n<h3>Public Forums on Campus<\/h3>\n<p>If the campus has a public forum designated for free speech purposes available throughout the year, the university cannot restrict its use during the holiday season to prevent the display of holiday symbols or messages. Such actions have been deemed impermissible content-based restrictions on speech. However, university policies that reasonably limit use of public areas in time, place and manner still apply, including quiet hours during study and exam periods.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"parent":51,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-90","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","cfct-can-haz-build"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/90","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/90\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/51"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}