Bill Zeeble, KERA News & Wire Services

A federal appeals court says two Plano-area elementary school principals are immune from liability for stopping students from handing out Christian candy cane pens and other on-campus religious expressions.

The full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans agreed that Plano school principals Lynn Swanson and Jackie Bomchill had qualified immunity from liability.

However, a fragmented court apparently reached no consensus on whether the children’s free-speech rights were violated – or even had free-speech rights to begin with.

Four families with students in Plano schools sued in 2004, claiming their children had been banned from handing out pencils saying “Jesus is the reason for the season,” candy canes with cards describing their Christian origin, and other religious materials.