by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS Staff Writer Even though the Rosary has long been a symbol of Catholicism and devotion to Mary, its adoption as a fashion statement by gang members is causing trouble in schools for Catholic students. A Texas teen, Tabitha Ruiz, was recently stopped by security guards at Seagoville High School in Dallas and told to take off the silver and ruby rosary beads, a gift from her mother, that she was wearing around her neck. "I went to school, walked through the metal detectors and they told me to take it off," Ruiz told Fox News. "I asked them why and they said because it's gang-related." This was the first time Ruiz and her mother, Taire Ferguson, had ever heard such a thing but police are well aware of the new trend. According to Victor Castro, a detective from Oregon who was involved in a similar case earlier this year, wearing a rosary has “become part of the look," for gang members. "They use it as a reminder of protection," he told USA Today. In the Oregon case, two boys were suspended from high school for refusing to remove the rosaries they were wearing around their necks. Neither of the boys was involved in a gang and had been given the rosaries by their mothers. However, they weren't wearing their beads to pray but because they liked the way they looked. This new trend of wearing rosaries as a fashion statement further complicates the issue. It was begun by celebrities such as Nicole Ritchie and Lindsay Lohan who have been seen wearing rosaries as a fashion accessory. The fad has even infected the world of sports. Soccer star David Beckham recently appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair wearing rosary beads around his neck. The trend is especially troubling to Catholics who regard the Rosary as one of the most venerable and cherished prayers in the Catholic Church and want to see it treated with respect. While no one should ever wear rosary beads as a fashion statement or, worse, as a "good luck charm" the way gang members do, simply wearing a rosary is not objectionable and is actually quite popular among devout Catholics in some cultures. Jimmy Akin, a popular apologist with Catholic Answers, explains on his blog: “Those who favor the practice could argue that wearing a Rosary - even a blessed one - as a way of showing one's devotion to Mary is no different in principle than wearing a picture (medal) of Mary--even a blessed one.” As long as the Church has not given a definitive directive about not wearing Rosary beads, it remains a matter of culture and individual preference, Akin says. The issue remains a perplexing one for school officials and civic authorities who may offend devout Catholic students by falsely accusing them of gang membership simply because they are seen wearing Rosary beads in school.   "We tell them to look at the whole package," said Ken Fandrem, a police officer assigned to the Oregon case. "Not just one article of clothing.” David Fidanque, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, said educators should proceed with caution. While their intentions may be valid, they run the risk of violating students' rights. "When it comes to restricting any form of expression, school officials have a pretty high bar to cross," he said. "They better have very specific evidence that's more than just a hunch." Detective Castro tries to be sensitive about cultural and religious traditions when approaching students who are wearing rosaries. “Do me a favor,” he tells them. “Wear it inside your shirt close to your heart. There's a bad element out there that uses it in a different way.”   © All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly/Women of Grace. http://www.womenofgrace.com