"The Day of Silence" was a youth-led national event in which LGBT high school students and their supporters chose not to speak for one day in school.  Instead, they handed out cards to those who asked, explaining why they were not speaking.  The day was April 26.  The purpose was to focus attention on the actual silencing of homosexuals as a result of harassment, bias and abuse.

Christian conservatives followed up the "Day of Silence" with their own counter-protest, called the "Day of Truth", set to occur the following day.  Instead of using silence, Christian students participating in the "Day of Truth" wore T-shirts expressing their view of homosexuality, and handed out leaflets.

In Midway High School in Dunn, NC, an honors student named Benjamin Arthurs was allowed to wear the T-shirt, but was denied permission to distribute cards presenting a Christian viewpoint on homosexuality during non-instructional time. He was suspended for ignoring the warning.

According to the lawsuit filed against the school district by Arthurs’ parents and the Alliance Defense Fund, Sampson County Board of Education Superintendent Stewart Hobbs said that "religion is not allowed in school."

Assuming the allegations are true, it looks like Midway High School seriously erred here, and Superintendent Hobbs should acquaint himself with some First Amendment law. 

Religion is allowed in schools.  Even prayer.  Even proselytizing.  The only limitations are that it cannot be endorsed by the school, and it cannot be disruptive to the orderly functioning of the school.  In fact, the constitution requires that public schools must accommodate (which is not the same thing as "endorse") religious expression to the same extent that it accommodates other forms of expression.  Based on what has been reported, it looks like Arthurs was clearly within his right to pass out leaflets explaining the religious perspective on homosexuality.

Sadly, it’s this type of ignorance that gives the Christian Right ammunition to whine about how they are being persecuted.  Fortunately, it happens far far less than the American Taliban would like people to believe.  And this is one time where (if the allegations are true) it did happen, and Midway should make amends immediately.