School District Forced to Remove Painting of Jesus Must Pay Court Costs

An Ohio school district that once allowed the display of a portrait of Jesus in a middle school has agreed to pay $95,000 in legal fees to groups that sued to have the painting removed, WORLD reports. Administrators at the Jackson City School District first said they would not remove the painting, which hung in its spot in the school's foyer for 66 years. After moving the painting to a hallway and offering to hang other religious or irreligious art nearby, the school finally gave in to claims that it was endorsing religion. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Freedom from Religion Foundation will split $80,000 in court costs, and five plaintiffs who filed suit will get $3,000 each.