The Associated Press

MADISON, Wis.—A high school student has filed a federal lawsuit alleging his art teacher censored his drawing because it featured a cross and a biblical reference.

The lawsuit alleges other Tomah High School students were allowed to draw “demonic” images and asks a judge to declare a class policy prohibiting religion in art unconstitutional.

“We hear so much today about tolerance,” said David Cortman, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal advocacy group representing the student. “But where is the tolerance for religious beliefs?”

Tomah School District Business Manager Greg Gaarder said the district hadn’t seen the lawsuit and declined to comment.

The student, a senior identified in the lawsuit by the initials A.P., drew a cross and the words “John 3:16 A sign of peace” in his drawing of a landscape, according to the lawsuit.

His teacher asked him to remove the reference to the Bible, saying students were making remarks about it, the suit said. He refused, and she gave him a zero on the project.

The teacher showed the student a policy for the class that prohibited any violence, blood, sexual connotations or religious beliefs in artwork. The boy tore the policy up, was kicked out of class, and later received two detentions for his actions, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit also alleges school officials allow other religious items and artwork to be displayed on campus. A.P. suffered unequal treatment because of his religion even though student expression is protected by the First Amendment, according to the lawsuit.