One “Christmas” Battle won in Oklahoma…for now.

Yesterday we wrote about a battle ensuing in a university in Oklahoma over the word “Christmas” in public areas of the campus. That battle is still ongoing.

Today, we report a victory for celebrators of Christmas in Oklahoma City (hat-tip FHK secret agent appleann1). The Tulsa World is reporting:

Two employees who claim they were forced to remove Christian-themed decorations from their office and breakroom put the items back on display while a legal battle continues over whether the employees’ rights were violated.

[...]

The dispute began after Couch sent an original memo Nov. 15 that said Nativity scenes, crosses, angels, cherubs and other religious items should not be displayed in government offices in order to “maintain neutrality” and avoid promoting one religion over another.

Employees Chris Spencer and Kenneth Buck took the memo to mean they had to remove Christian decorations from Spencer’s office and Buck’s Bible that he kept in the breakroom. The two filed a federal lawsuit Monday accusing Couch and other city employees of violating their constitutional rights.

The workers claim a supervisor told Spencer he had to remove religious scriptures from the wall of his office and an ichthus — a fish symbol first used by early Christians — on his filing cabinet.

The employees also claim the city forced the removal of a Bible from the breakroom and the cancellation of an annual breakroom Christmas party that included an opening prayer.

Couch sent another memo to department and division heads Tuesday that sought to clarify his original memo. Tuesday’s memo said the original memo only pertained to holiday decorations in public spaces at city office buildings and not decorations in employees’ personal workspaces.

Spencer put the items back in his office Tuesday, and Buck’s Bible was returned to the breakroom.

In Wednesday’s ruling, the judge left open the question of whether the city violated the employees’ constitutional rights. (more)